#the funny text up top is just for the TL;DR

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

Mmnghphp,,, I've been thinking about Lightning a lot todau,,, it's been,,,waauguh.,,b

[letorip]

Which of Jenna’s characters do you think would be the clingiest? (I loved your headcannons ❤️)

most clingy

this was a very wholesome one to think about, i had great fun. thank you the anon who submitted this. same deal as last time, if you're tl;dr my take is at the bottom

wednesday addams:

she likes to put up a tough front of needing nobody and desiring to be alone, but once she falls for you, it's as bad as morticia and gomez

you live in a room on the other side of campus, and she's made it a habit of sneaking to your room almost every night. she scales the fucking dangerous, rickety old roof to get there each time, but she'll do it, because she'll get to sleep with you

sometimes it's to sleep with you, if you catch my not-so-subtle drift, and then other times it's because she wants to sleep with you

of course, she'll disguise it as "my room has broken air conditioning" or "enid is snoring," and you just smile, nod, and lift the sheets for her to get in

she's not a huge cuddler in the sense that she wants to lay directly on you, but she wants to be around, in the same bed

you do this almost every night, and if you don't, she's knocking on your door right when people are let out of their rooms in the morning to hang out (or make out) before breakfast starts

she's virtually moved in with you, at this point. she has a toothbrush in your bathroom, several outfits in your dresser (in her own drawer), and she leaves dead animal skulls and occult books around to "liven up the place." they definitely don't match your pre-existing decor, but you don't mind because it's wednesday

she's not super fond of pda of any sort, but she'll definitely be right by your side when you're hanging with mutual friends. she'll hold hands under the table or kiss you when there's a private moment, but she's not all over you physically when other people are staring at you both

she does definitely get super jealous

she'll make little comments like "bianca seemed friendly" or "divina finds you awfully funny." if you're tutoring someone in the library, guess who will also miraculously be at the library at the same time? sitting in a chair with a perfect angle of the table you're at and peeking over the top of her book

wednesday is almost always with you, because you're one of the few people she trusts and longs to frequently be with

tara carpenter:

you live with tara and sam, so it makes sense that you and tara slowly grow closer and closer until you start dating

she absolutely loves to have at least one point of contact with you whenever she can. she'll lean against you, lean her head on your shoulder, wrap an arm around you, just let your shoulders touch, or when she really wants to, she'll leave a hand on your knee

when you’re both watching a movie, she’ll cuddle up against your chest and start to fall asleep there, especially if it’s one she’s seen before. you turn the movie off but don’t move, because if you do tara will wake up

during the events of scream vi or any time there’s a ghostface threat levied towards her or sam, she’s especially attached to you. she doesn’t sleep as well and refuses to leave your side, as she’s paranoid ghostface will come to take you from her

you assure her that you’re okay and she can sleep, grabbing her hand and squeezing it three times (i. love. you.). it calms tara down a bit, and though she’s still worried and makes sure the apartment is locked and you’re all safe, it helps her sleep

when things calm down again, she’s not super clingy in the sense that she’s always with you. you’re both in college and have your own classes, and though she wants you near, you both can function as separate people. it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to be with you, but your work and school keeps you both a bit more apart during the day

you both text frequently though, not because she doesn’t trust you and wants to be on top of you, but because it’s just nice to hear from you and you both love talking to each other. she’ll send you photos of cute dogs she sees on instagram or a reel she finds funny with a little note at the bottom that says ‘hope your day is going well <3’

tara does get rather jealous at parties. it’s not your fault you’re hot, but when other people approach you to “talk,” 9 times out of 10 you’re too oblivious to realise you’re being hit on

she’ll walk right over to the conversation you’re having with someone random and duck under your arm to wrap it around her shoulders. if that doesn’t work, she also has the tactic of narrowing her eyes, or if she’s feeling especially bold, just grabbing your wrist and dragging you away to shove you down on some random bed

people know in general not to fuck with tara when it comes to you. in a way it makes you her weak spot, but she will absolutely raise hell and stab whoever she needs to, in order to make sure you’re okay

shes definitely a cuddler. she’ll drag you back into bed and wrap an arm around your torso and hold you there. sam always wrinkles her nose whenever she walks past you both cuddled up against each other on the couch after a long day

lorraine day:

you meet lorraine as an actor in the adult films, when she’s still with RJ. it causes a bit of drama when she leaves him for you, but once you and her are officially together she never ever wants to leave your side

it even means she starts acting in them herself, and the best part is that with you, it’s not even really acting. she loves every minute and how free you make her feel, and because she feels it strongest while in your presence, she chases after it all the time

she’s a giant hugger, wether it be side hugging, or wrapping her arms around your waist from behind, to rest her head on your shoulder and watch whatever thing you’re doing

lorraine is so in love, and with you it’s a sweetness that shoots up her veins like heroin. you both eat together, sleep together, work together, and travel together

you always travel together except for once, when you had to go check on your father as his health declined. it was two states away and you went alone, because lorraine was due to keep shooting with jackson, maxine, and bobby-lynne. the entire time you were away after the filming wrapped, she stared out the damn window over the hill, waiting for you to pull up in your truck

it wasn’t long enough a time that she could’ve written a letter, but she felt like a soldier’s wife craving your call

when you got back she ran out to meet you and jumped into your arms. you twirl her around with a laugh and she’s crying into your hands and kissing your palms and then kissing you.

you laugh and say “lorraine, it’s been three days,” but she shakes her head and kisses you again. she’s so happy you’re home you go AT it that night, to the point where wayne knocks on your door to tell you to quiet down

she’s wanted to marry you since the minute she met you, and she tells you as such, even though it’s been a bit over a year

she doesn’t get super jealous, just because she knows fucking other people is just what you do for work. it feels different for you both, when you’re alone and when you’re in front of the camera. you’re both comfortable with yourselves and your relationship, and it’s the comfort she’s always wanted

i’m thinking of hourglass by catfish and the bottlemen, i think that song describes it perfectly

you’re always together, in your own perfect little version of heaven, and while it’s not clinginess from jealousy, it’s clinginess from love and being happy

cairo sweet:

cairo is not clingy whatsoever

not in the sense that she couldn’t give a fuck about you— though she definitely attempted to push that narrative at first— but in the sense that she knows she’s the best and she knows you’re both so incredibly solid. if anything, being apart makes seeing each other even better

she’s a romantic and a rich romantic at that, so whose to say she won’t go on a vacation for a few weeks without warning and then reappear at school for you to ask her where she went

part of her enjoys creating a mystery for you, and making you chase her. she likes the thrill of it, and in a weird way it shows that you care about her enough to find out where she’s been or what she’s doing. it’s somewhat refreshing, considering her parents are so careless and you care so much

she does get jealous when she sees you with other kids. you’re just as intelligent as she is, and you give tutoring advice and run several clubs, so there are always kids who need to speak with you. she knows it’s just part of your role on campus, but it does irk her a bit when she sees you talking to pretty girls who are all too suddenly interested in correcting their math test

most nights between you both are spent at her home, tangled up. she likes to drink wine, but you stay away from alcohol. that doesn’t mean you won’t kiss it off her lips, though

you both are avid readers, so sometimes she’ll lean against you while you both read separate books and sit in silence. it’s peaceful, and cairo always thought she’d want some whirlwind forbidden romance, which is why she’s so surprised she likes the quiet domesticity

she’s definitely somewhat a fan of showy pda in certain situations. she’ll sit on your lap in between classes and wrap an arm around your shoulders, and who’s to say the girl who she caught staring at your lips yesterday wouldn’t come around the corner at the same time to see you there

she makes it perfectly clear she doesn’t depend on you, though. you both exist as separate people. she finds couples joined at the hip as “vapid” and “full of braggadocio.” of course, she’s proud of her relationship with you, but cairo also values her independence and separation

not that many people were even aware you were together officially, until a good three months in. you would argue (flirt) in class during socratic seminars, but most kids thought you both genuinely hated each other

for what it’s worth, you enjoy cairo for all her cairo-isms. it may be cringe to other people, but you do fundamentally understand her in a way no one else really does, just because of how open and honest she is with you. it was a struggle for her at first, but she does appreciate you for it

another one down. really tried to stick to clingy but it definitely branched out to other stuff too because i think there are definitely many ways to be clingy. clingiest, i would say would be lorraine, with tara not falling far behind

[badlydrawnronpa]

hi anon ty for sending the message! I did look through their blog and they very obviously use AI - I would've published the ask normally to let other people know but I decided against it in the end because after a closer inspection I noticed that all commissions are fake (besides being fake art I mean) and they're not actually scamming anyone because. uh. literally most of the blogs I saw interact with them are empty rp blogs that are blatantly controlled by them and one of the commissions I saw on their patreon was for a defunct ohsc rp blog from 2014??? Which honestly was really funny.

so yeah, they're very much not pulling any money from that, and on top of it all they posted pics of themselves sooooo yeh, not going to blast them on a blog with a big following for trying the 'i dont use ai im a real artist' but ultimately not scamming anyone out of their money. They're also not the best at like... hiding they're using AI because you can see their traditional art in other posts, and the style or experience level doesn't match at all.

I will post some of their AI stuff underneath the read more and point out the inconsistencies tho, to help out other people in spotting out ai shit (esp non artists that might have an harder time figuring things out). If you find out the original user that posted these, please don't harass them, be civil.

BTW I'M SAYING THIS NOW: if you see something I point out and say ''ah, I do that, I'm in trouble" - no you're not, if you actually draw the stuff yourself. You can see when an artist's work (and mistakes!) are genuine. Beginner's mistakes can be made by experienced artists too, but if you look at their entire body of work you can see when something doesn't add up.

to start off, I saw anon calling them out on this one so I'm just reiterating some of the points, but here's some junko 'art' they made

when confronted abt it, they said that the fingers look weird because they can't control their shaky hands and drawing small is hard. anyway if you draw digitally you can zoom in on the canvas and work on a detail as big as you need, so that excuse doesn't hold

this other post was basically what made me just say 'yep thats ai' and it was just the second 'art' post I saw from them

while taken alone they could've been a little harder to spot as AI, with them all bundled together you can easily see they came from the same prompt; the user tried to justify the inconsistencies saying it was because they were 'experimenting' with the design of their oc and gundham's scar but I'm telling you now, no sane artist fully renders four pieces that are basically the same concept while changing the design of the character just slightly in every single one of them. anyway, here's the breakdown of every piece:

another that was way easier to break down because it's so full of inconsistencies the moment you really take a look at it

also let's be real if you render art like that you're not gonna put a bright purple unreadable text on your supposed vtuber "art"

let's end this with the AI "commission" that could be harder to break down as AI if seen in a vacuum now, shall we? esp because our friend, the fucked up melty finger, isn't there

I honestly had to look for a while at this one because if you had shown it to me and I didn't see the other stuff this person posted, I could've just chalked up a lot of these mistakes to human error. Tangents between lines, scribbles for details, forgotten uncolored sections is all normal stuff. BUT we know this person used AI in all the other posts, so we know what to look at:

again, some mistakes the AI does can be also mistakes actual artists do: be sure to check the other art the user makes before throwing accusations

they also posted a fake speedpaint that is so embarassing it made me laugh but if I start pointing out inconsistencies in an AI speedpaint we're gonna be here for a long time, so.

TL;DR AI 'ART' SIGNS:

The classics: hands and fingers don't make sense, there's additional weird lines and they melt into other part of the drawing

long hair strands and other long or flowy elements can suddenly disappear behind objects and not reappear where they should

jewels, intricate details, hairpins and other accessories bend and melt into each other and other part of the design

the resolution of the image is very low and/or grainy - a lot of artists post lower res pieces online, but again: look for a pattern and combos of all the other signs

inconsistencies between multiple art posts, character designs constantly being different, sudden art style changes - while this can also be found with real artists, this is an additional tell of someone using AI, when combined with the stuff I mentioned above. humans mistakes usually have a reason for what they happen, AI makes them because it doesnt understand what it's doing most of the time

[tabe4]

Hey Prince, what gave you the idea to come up with tabe4? Absolutely adore the blog, these characters have somehow wormed their way into being my favourites HSBFJBDJFBSF

WAAGHH THANK YOU!! just got home so i can answer this~

i actually started the video game askblog concept partly inspired by @pkmn-monochrome , but over on @tobaiblog . the blog was also inspired by a dream i had mooonths ago about a video game character that was sentient, hosted on the dark web who had to do anything people put into chat for them to do

but tobaiblog had a loooot of plot behind it the more i worked on it, and i was already workshopping other ideas and playing with other video game genres that could work as an askblog/command blog. i dont remember the full details that lead to tabe4's concept but i was workshipping different ones for a few months. i initially wanted an RPG or DnD lite kind of game, and had a maze concept with some lore and the idea of askers tryna escape a maze was interesting. but the more i worked on it the more the lore got.. complicated.... and the more i worked on tobaiblog, the more i realised the edited sprites were actually not that easy to work with and keep track of all the files, so i wanted something where i could draw the characters freely. (i considered a dating sim/vn genre but didn't get far with that)

i was playing with the idea of a pet sim game after deciding i might not use the maze one yet, but thought that all the care things that came with those games were too much to keep up with through an ask blog so i was like, well what if i focused on the feeding aspect entirely (since submitting food sounds like fun)?

i knew i wanted some dark themes, and i knew that shock/subversion was a popular thing to do with flash games in like early 2000s, 2010s (like Can Your Pet). i also KNEW people would want to submit weird things that could kill them, so i figured encouraging that kind of experimentation could be entertaining. i also thought drawing their reactions to funny food could break too much tension as well, and it had the potential for comedy on top of the dark themes.

after that i went from there with going with 4 diets for difficulty, and getting help from a friend picking the 4 animals for them, plus the name, and then i planned out each screen. i included a diary because i wanted a way for people to actually communicate with the characters, plus if you had opened it when Icey was alive, it could have been shocking to see text from them there already.

TL;DR: I was inspired by @pkmn-monochrome last year to make a sentient video game character blog + from a dream i had abt said character, then got into the idea of making other video game sentient character blogs, and played with the idea of different genres before picking pet sim and reducing it down to a core mechanic that was simple to comprehend and be creative with. i already wanted the opportunity to do creepypasta esque horror with the game so killing them was a no-brainer there~

[game-boy-pocket]

Did you like nuts and bolts

So I'll be upfront and say I barely played much of it. But I did play some of it. I was a ride or die Banjo fan back then, I bought an Xbox 360 just for Banjo ( and also Sonic but that's another sad story ), I pre-ordered the game and got the Xbox Arcade version of Banjo Kazooie as a pre-order bonus. I thought the new game looked ugly and the premise was weird, but I was willing to give it a chance

I feel like maybe I could have had some fun with it if I were given a little more time with the game. My Xbox360 red ring of death'd itself for the second time in two months before the game came out and at that point I was already fed up with it and did not send it in for repairs. So instead, I played a copy that my friend bought at his house for a few hours.

Part of the problem is that the text in the game was so small that I couldn't really understand what I was meant to be doing. I don't know why the game launched like that. With my friend's help I was able to beat the first world though.

But nah. I didn't like it. There were just too many little things about the game that bothered me. It was not very straight forward compared to what I expected from Banjo, the character design was ugly as sin, I didn't think the objectives were that entertaining, I didn't understand the direction they were taking with some of the characters, and worst of all is that the game just actively disrespected the characters, the series, and even the genre. I just couldn't stomach all those things together, on top of having dropped all that money for a new console only to be extremely disappointed, and on top of having waited for so long for "Banjo Threeie" after Tooie teased it.

Yes I know according to Greg Mayles, that was a joke, but jokes are supposed to be funny, and they don't read as jokes when you literally did the same thing in the previous game. Banjo Tooie was one of my most anticipated sequels of all time thanks to the ending of Banjo Kazooie. And I'd say Tooie delivered, for me personally. So teasing Threeie in the same way you teased Tooie and then 20 years later on twitter saying "haha you got pranked" is kinda fucked.

But tl;dr, no. Nuts and Bolts sucked for what it wasn't as well as for what it was.

[luaspersona]

so *flips through notes* how shall i start?

well, again, i’ve decided to break my commentary into sections, so things are easier to navigate (it starts with a bunch of reactions, but if you power through it there’s in depth comments too lmao), and i went a bit wild with arrows too (tell me if it’s better or worse, i’m still figuring out how to give long commentary). i do feel like i’ll never be able to live up to my forfeit analysis tho, lol, maybe when the story is complete and i write a full series review, but for now, given that i don’t have much time at hand anymore, i hope you still enjoy simpler feedback from me 🥰

regardless of anything, this turned out to be enormous once again, so a quick tl;dr: the window is honestly one of your best works — and that’s saying something. i’m not sure it tops dal segno or forfeit for me, because those were chapters that came with a lot of really difficult personal realizations and helped me come to terms with a bunch of personal shit too. anyway, i don’t think you ever need to be nervous before a drop because everything you write is gold.

so 👏🏽 let’s 👏🏽 start

PARTS WHERE I LAUGHED

⇝ upon rereading this passage, i understood that reader was disappointed that yoongi didn’t sent anything, and that’s so funny because he did text her before lol

Drifting to your bed, you check your phone previously dumped on the nightstand, sighing at an empty screen before making your way into the cozy nook of your bedroom. 

⇝ who can blame the man honestly? i wish.

Your brother definitely muscled everyone else into rooming with each other, claiming Yoongi for himself.

⇝ poor mr. taehyung park 😔

And how deep you dug your nails into Tae’s dress pants.

Fuck, you should apologize for those marks he definitely has.

⇝ reader was in full i like it mode of “you still look good and it annoys me, pretty woman” here lmao:

Why the hell does he have to look like that when you’re this frustrated? Of course he’d rock a black button-up and slacks. Of course he’d style his hair in a way that makes you wanna snatch him from the hallway. Of course he’d look the most expensive you’ve ever seen him.

This is a whole other layer of upset that you didn’t need tonight. 

↪ it made me realize that she’ll have a rough time whenever she and yoongi fight or something, ‘cus he’ll be walking around looking like a three course meal effortlessly and that’s just not fair.

⇝ jungkook in the middle of it not understanding shit lmaoooooo

“I already said I wasn’t going at dinner last night. But y’all seemed distracted enough, so.”

Yoongi straightens while Jungkook simply utters a confused sound. 

↪ yoongi trying to mend things was so funny to me omg:

“Don’t, Kook.”

“But I—”“Drop it.”“Did I do something wrong?” 

“The fuck? No. Let’s go.” 

⇝ i love how dom became our official bs spotter too lmaoo, but i’d be so offended fr 🤣: 

“What happened, baby. I haven’t heard you like this in a long ass time.” 

“Sad?”

“Pathetic.”

⇝ and damnn i SCREAMED when i read this omg:

“He what? Flirted with some chick in front of everyone like he’s supposed to?” 

↪ but i have to defend my baby here though, ‘cus i 100% get her. especially knowing she’s been through a bunch of shit before and it’s super insecure. maybe she acted up a little bit, but it doesn’t change the fact that she was hurt and we see in a bunch of little parts how she’s still unsure about her relationship with yoongi (even calling it a situationship and saying her trust is a work in progress) so honestly? although i’m not one for yelling or being sassy and shit, i know i’d be pretty upset too. not to mention that the texts he sent after the dinner weren’t about what happened, and even yoongi admitted he went about the whole thing the wrong way and should’ve been clearer. i mean, c’mon:

“The one person that could possibly make it better this time just took this chick’s number in front of me.”

↪ i get it. we know yoongi wouldn’t actually do anything because we’ve been inside his head, the reader hasn’t. and i think we can all agree that yoongi messed up big time here:

“Did you end up calling her? That girl.”

[...]

“I did.”

And your heart slams into the ground. “I see.” 

“You wanna know why?”

Absolutely not. “No.”

↪ i know he wasn’t worried ‘cus he knew he didn’t do anything, but he saw that the reader was upset about it and he still decided not to be clear straight away? ffs 😩

⇝ again, it’s dom’s world. we just living in it:

“So make up with my future brother in law and I’ll see you when—”

“What?”

“—get back. And y’all use protection, right? Cus I don’t wanna be an auntie just ye—”

⇝ that was so sexy of him:

“You mad?”

“Yes.” 

“Good. Stay that way.”

⇝ LMAOOO, that makes the writing so genuine omg, i caN’T:

When you pop back into your bedroom, you catch Yoongi pinning you with amusement, almost telling him to shut up out loud.

Why the fuck does he look so hot you need to focus!

⇝ oh, what? no, bro, don’t mind me, i’m was just sucking yoongi out here:

Shit, you probably look like a trainwreck. What the hell do you say? Certainly not that you were just sucking off his best friend that’s still very much in the room oh god.

⇝ honestly ryen you’re SO FUNNY OMG THIS HAD ME IN TEARS:

Oh, fuck. He’s sitting on your mattress? 

Ironically—hilariously—that’s better than him sitting on one of the armchairs.

↪ and like??? 🤣:

Body twinging with guilt and paranoia, you gingerly sit just close enough to him, leaning away when you see nothing but the Sun on his computer. “Dude, the brightness.”

⇝ and the way you wrote this ryen omg 😭😭😭:

Grasping for a ledge to latch onto, you remind him mid-freefall.

⇝ 😭😭😭 yoongi istg:

“You talk about me like that?”

↪ also, this made me think like, whenever we like someone, we want to talk about that person all the time to everyone. so for the reader to be keeping it a secret… damn that must be hard, especially given that her brother knows yoongi so well and she must want to talk about yoongi with him so bad.

⇝ i was so overwhelmed here that my laughter was manic:

Because that was your brother.

Yelling with a knock from the other side of the goddamn wall.

PARTS WHERE I WANTED TO SWALLOW MY FIST (lovingly)

⇝ the mere mention of a balcony already had me screaming:

You even have a decent balcony, which you would be sitting on if not for the subzero temperatures outside.

⇝ i have to say that whenever vmin is mentioned, i lowkey malfunction:

The trip had been pretty magical and fantastic before that dinner. You got to go sightseeing in the snow-capped mountains with everyone, snuck a peek of Tae’s little moment with Jimin in the hot springs, visited a quaint village with pretty shops, and even sat around a fire pit after grilling food.

↪ they are such an interesting couple and maybe that’s also ‘cus we know basically nothing about them, but oh god! i really love to get glimpses into their relationship. the last time we checked on the they were still unsure and tae was in pure angst

⇝ i just LOVED the scene with yoongi and jungkook on the hallway. like, it could’ve been hoseok, namjoon or jin, but no, it had to be yoonkook 😩🗣 and of course we don’t know if the chapter is canon and – in the case that it is – when it takes place, but ugh, just to imagine that this is post-forfeit jungkook who wants to win the reader back and that’s post-flutter yoongi who just confessed and opened up to reader makes it all so funny and kdeofkdlfejksd

⇝ this part had me all giddy because i remember a 3tan slice you made of reader and yoongi talking about bro’s nice-jock-brother phase and before yoongi starts feeling guilty he gets all curious about those childhood stories. sidewalk too had some nostalgia moments and i liked it so much! it makes me interested in seeing yoongi’s reactions to reader’s embarrassing stories (especially knowing he was probably there for most of them too), i really love seeing them dwelling on memories:

How Yoongi had been giving you looks as you and your brother traded embarrassing stories, your whole table laughing with every single one.

⇝ the amount of times yoongi called reader babe in this chapter should be illegal. i’m pretty sure i’m damaged for life

⇝ i just love how yoongi cherishes her and loves her so much. i keep thinking of them being official, and how much yoongi would be one of those sweet as fuck boyfriends that wants to just be with his girl all the time (and from what bro has said he really is like that, so.):

“Huh? You deserve a lot more than this.”

⇝ that you… wut 😳

“You know exactly why!” you whisper, grabbing him to kiss some sense into that reckless brain you love so much. 

⇝ this made me scream of fondness in the middle of the smut ugh omg:

“Oh. No, I really do just like making you mad.” 

He laughs before kissing your head. “I can see that. Punk ass.”

↪ again, this is just so wholesome fuck it:

“So cute like this.” He doesn’t explain further, but falters with a moan before laughing to himself. “Hustling the shit out of me.”

⇝ yoongi not hiding 😭 the man has a mission of killing us all and he’s relentless.

⇝ DLDJFDLFJDKSKFJ:

And it’s how you can be anywhere in the world, in any situation, and yet feel so at home if he’s there. “Just for you,” you whisper, suddenly overcome with something more than yourself.

⇝ when i tell you i fucking bawled with this:

When you finally clasp it on, you hold up his arm with a smile. “Look! Now we match.” 

↪ this was the sweetest fucking thing ever and i wanted to explode. it’s all about those snippets of intimacy and domesticity. the ease with which they just… match — way before any chains were exchanged. and now their silver and golden links bond them too.

⇝ i really don’t know what to think about this, if i’m being honest:

When you both leave the aisle first, you miss the look that Jin shares with Namjoon. 

↪ it’s said in forfeit that it's been a while since jin and namjoon saw the reader and they were away during most of their relationship we’ve seen, so i’m not 100% sure it means they are onto something. i think it’s more like that ask that jimin received if he was surprised to learn about yoongi and reader and he said that it kinda just made sense, so i think it’s something like that that namjin felt here — not suspicion, but a feeling like “what if…”

PARTS WHERE I FORGOT HOW TO BREATH

⇝ had to say i 100% thought the reader had hooked up with the girl lmao, the WAY you wrote this omg:

What makes everything even worse? You recognized exactly where you saw her before that night.

You… She…

⇝ loved that her body reacts to yoongi’s presence even if it isn’t fully acknowledged:

Your heart must’ve seen Yoongi coming from your brother’s room before you did, because its beats already stop before he fully comes into view.

⇝ i just LOVE how yoonig calls, like every time they are texting and something mildly serious comes up he immediately calls her. he wants to hear her and talk things through, and i love it so much:

Yoongi [10:27pm]: Ok hold on

You wait for a few moments before you get a call, and your eyes bug out of their sockets because you certainly didn’t expect this.

When you pick up, it’s loud as hell on his end. “Hi.”

“Talk to me.”

↪ and the same here:

“No. I don’t. So if you wanna say something, say it.”

↪ the man wants no misunderstandings, no miscommunications, he wants clear talks and to understand the reader. he doesn’t dismiss the fact she’s upset, he wants to understand why and never makes her feel like she’s overreacting or exaggerating, ‘cus he respects her feelings effortlessly

⇝ although i was squirming ‘cus of the way their conversation just wasn’t like happening, i kinda laughed at this too:

Yoongi [11:08pm]: Got somewhere to be 

You [11:10pm]: i’m sure you do

↪ the reader was being so cheeky i was lowkey proud

⇝ yoongi doesn’t get enough credit for how mature he is: he knows he likes the reader and he couldn’t give less of a fuck about being right or hurting his pride when there’s an issue:

Goddamn it… Why is he giving you so many chances.

⇝ this part was really interesting to me:

But Yoongi still doesn’t let go of your head, instead palming it just a bit more into his dress shirt before he whispers, “Just…” 

And he stops. 

Without any indication of—

“Can I just kiss you.” 

↪ yoongi is dead scared of not deserving the reader or something, and here she was really mad with him and was being kinda harsh and he just knows he didn’t do things the right way, so he was probably really scared going into her room and somewhat losing her. it might seem like a stretch, but the reader’s trust was shaken by something “small” and she was already thinking about a thousand of terrible scenarios, so i don’t think it’s above yoongi to overthink the situation too. and even the reader finds it a bit weird the way he’s acting:

Because Yoongi has shown you time and time again how dangerous he can be. How he can lose control in the best ways just as you do for him. 

But right now? Devouring you like you both had been apart for months while your brother’s on the other side of the wall? 

↪ i think that’s why he acted up with the brother so close and all: he not only wanted her to understand he’s hers, but he also wanted to assure that she still with him, she’s still there and still his too. i think one thing the reader doesn’t understand is that yoongi is as insecure as she is, but shows it in a different way ‘cus he has all this facade while she wears her heart under her sleeve.

⇝ i was cheated before, so i 100% get her:

“I know I shouldn’t have, but my brain went straight for the worst possible scenario. It’s, umm…”

Looking away, you fight the tears that you specifically didn’t want falling. The ones that you were done crying years ago, 

“It’s happened before. Around this same time, actually.” 

↪ even though i get how shitty it is to be questioned too. also, reading this brought a whole new level of understanding regarding her character and why she’s so insecure — beyond what we already know.

⇝ honestly this was just so damn perfect i had to stop reading for around 10 minutes to collect myself:

It’s a thin chain, with small links and no embellishments. 

↪ it means so much after everything that happened, almost like their secret way of vowing their devotion to one another, through a symbol only them know the meaning and weight to.

⇝ 😳:

“You really came here to tell me all that?” 

“Yeah.” He snags your chin. “And to teach you a fucking lesson.” 

*breaks in cold sweat*

⇝ jesus fucking christ when i tell you i fucking scrEAMED??????

“I know,” he laughs. “Dunks are fucking untouchable right now.” 

“Right? Yoongi has like, fifty pairs.” 

↪ i was gaping for hours after this. felt like ross saying the wrong name at the altar, and it had me thinking, ‘cus that HAS to set at least a seed of suspicion on his mind:

“I mean, maybe. Didn’t expect you to mention him is all.”

⇝ i have no words, just feelings:

“Teach you to think I’m not yours.” 

“B—”

“As if I don’t wanna give you my shit—”

“Fu—!” 

“—so you can walk around everywhere with it on.”

SMUT

as you can see the division i made is kinda unregular, but please pretend this is organized.

⇝ that’s so fucking sexy honestly, i felt like passing out:

“I wanna forget my own name.”  

“I can make that happen.” 

⇝ i stand by my OG three tangerines commentary:

“But also…” Summoning courage from all angles, you place a firm hand on his chest. “Can I still be mad at you?” 

Yoongi falls completely silent for a moment, his stare incredulous and his chest stiff under your palm. 

Did his heart… beat harder there?

↪ can 👏🏽 someone 👏🏽 PLEASE 👏🏽 dominate 👏🏽 this 👏🏽 man? he’s desperate:

And as he stares down at the material, something stirs in your belly, and you’re quick to wonder where any and all if this rebellion is coming from.

Maybe it’s the painfully obvious tent he has in his pants. Or the ravenous, subtly proud look in his eyes anytime you act out.

↪ istg ryen please give this man what he wants (i know here it also means he was trying to hold back but REGARDLESS):

Gulping, you feel strangely powerful despite being the one with no clothes on. Even though he’s the one towering over, you have a feeling he’s trying hard as fuck to keep himself in check.

↪ i mean… do i even have to say anything?

“It wouldn’t’ve lasted long anyway.”

“Now you’re just rude.” 

His lip bite is so handsome that you almost miss the dash of shyness. 

Or was that your imagination?

“Maybe next time, doll.”

⇝ this got me so riled up that i almost sobbed reading it:

“As much as I wanna hear you, you better shut the fuck up, doll.” 

⇝ OG reader could never and i couldn’t be prouder:

“But you’re gonna wait your turn like a good girl.” 

“No!”

↪ and the straight up iconic:

“Make me,” you hiss, lifting your head to meet his lips. “Bitch.”

↪ reader was full on:

⇝ honestly that’s the sexiest sex to ever sex:

“Because you seem to think I’m not yours.” 

Wait. What? 

That’s the… That’s the lesson he’s gonna teach you?

“And I’m gonna fuck you until you get the point.”

Oh, fuck. He’s still pissed.

↪ i– i think i need a lesson too 😔

↪ not to mention that i think you dealt very well with everyone wanting angry sex because of jealousy and then staying true to their characters by making angry sex because they are pissed at their insecurities lol

⇝ god forgive me for i have sinned:

Silent but firm, he leads you to one of the armchairs in your room’s nook, sitting you down before giving a chaste kiss.

⇝ and ugh this yoongi? standing tall over her?? unbuttoning his cuffs??? demanding shit????

Unbuttoning one of his cuffs, Yoongi simply stands over you while explaining, “You’re gonna show me first.”

“Huh?”

He folds his sleeve inward before pushing it up his forearm. “How you get off.”

[...]

“Don’t make me wait.”

↪ also, watching some get off is honestly the hottest shit

⇝ *sobs*:

Does he really have to spread his legs as wide as yours, though? 

⇝ this is the point in which my review became posthumous:

“Wanna fuck your throat.” You whimper into his palm before he sticks a thumb inside your mouth. “Paint this pretty face.”

⇝ i wanna say that subspace is something that makes me a bit uncomfortable overall, but the way you handled the hint of it here just made me relieved, especially yoongi’s attention and care to check on her and see if she’s still able to consent and shit, so even if it’s not my favorite thing, i know i’ll enjoy it with you writing it:

He leans down, and you’re regarding him with a strange look as he looks from one eye to the other. 

⇝ i loved her so much for this 😭 i want to be here one day:

“I dunno but I know you want it.”

⇝ honestly?

Sliding your mouth back and forth, you make a few passes before releasing him to spit, coating him with your saliva before going again. With your other fingers busy on your clit, you feel the dirtiest you’ve felt in a long time.

⇝ when i read this my brain just stopped for a second ‘cus i forgot the warnings and thought they were doing it raw:

When he understands, a low curse shoots out. “Fuck, my condoms are in the room.”

↪ on that note:

“God, I can’t wait to feel all of you.”

↪ yoongi wants it, we want it… so what’s it gonna be ryen 🧐?

⇝ yoongi’s pain kink is gonna be my downfall:

“Tug on my shit,” he grits, humming with eyes shut when you yank his head to the side. “Fuck.” 

⇝ i wanted to cry when i read this, omg i SCREAMED, what ON EARTH MR PARK TAEHYUNG:

“I gotta say… I get it, babe.” 

He smirks while looking away.

“Y’all sound fucking hot in bed.” 

↪ like someone said, having a drabble of their perspective coming into the house and hearing them would be amazing. but i imagine how tired you are too and the last thing i want is to put pressure on you too! if you find yourself wanting to write another drabble for us eventually, i’d definitely vote on this.

⇝ overall like, the smut is just so fucking overwhelming in a way. there are so much at play here, so much intimacy, so many words not said, and it’s so fucking intense, the way they can’t get enough of each other, how messy it gets, how they aren’t barely thinking and it’s just so fucking sexy how you are able to convey it all in your writing. i mean, how can i define this as anything but deliciously overwhelming (especially with the stream of consciousness here too):

The point. You get it. You get it you get it you understand it so fucking well.

↪ and here too:

Because Yoongi decides to switch up the pace, going slow enough to make you sob into soft lips rubbed raw.

Praise, reassurance, more praise. All of these things fall on your features and into your ears, and you hold onto him as if he’s your last lifeline. 

↪ and also:

When you give a vigorous shake of your head, fingers you adore clasp yours, and your hand is pressed into rumpled sheets next to your wet cheek. You’re so caught up and entirely whole that you don’t even realize where you end and he begins, don’t even register that you’re coming again because he’s already made you feel that fantastic. 

↪ i mean, every intimate scene of them (be it just a kiss or a full on smut) always makes me think of closer. they both suck at communicating their feelings, it took that scene in forfeit for them to finally open up, so i see them often translating their feelings into touches and that portrays a heavy role in each intimate moment — and you write each with absolute perfection. we can feel the intensity of their feelings every time, how they give themselves into those moments. further evidence (thank god i was in my bed while reading, ‘cus otherwise i would’ve fall):

Instead of claiming your lips again, Yoongi goes for a light touch to your nose. Which is just as fine because that’s his to claim, too.

✨YOUR WRITING✨ 

⇝ i found it interesting the way you decided to describe the house too. i’m not entirely sure why you did, but i’ll lay it out here in case it’s something i’m missing, but:

But they leave regardless, and you watch as they make it down the staircase of your elaborate rented house, their chatter coating both the polished floors and the decorated walls.

↪ and also:

Seriously, does every bedroom in this mansion-like place have a mini kitchen and living area, too?

↪ for me later on seemed to indicate some kind of imagery contrast. because the place is just so pretty, so sumptuous, but inside reside two siblings alone (at first), feeling the emptiness that the holidays bring them. i don’t know, i 100% might be reading too much into it, especially because the details aren’t often pejorative or exaggerated, and it can be just you revealing the environment through your character’s reaction to it, but yeah. welcome to overthinking 24/7.

⇝ you have this control, that i’m sure i’ve mentioned a bunch of times already, of information that’s so incredible. you know exactly when to hold back information and how to reveal it when it’s the right time. and it creates such and anxiety and tension from the very start like:

You know they’re meeting up with everyone else, but you can’t bring yourself to join in on the festivities. Not after whatever the hell you witnessed at dinner last night. 

Why did Yoongi… 

Fuck, forget about it. It’s probably nothing.

↪ i mean!! we read this and are immediately punching the air like it’s nOT NOTHING BESTIE, SPILL 😩 and you tease us so fucking bad like:

Frankly, you don’t wanna recall how the rest of that went down again.

↪ yes you do, sweetie, what happened 😭😩

↪ but not only regarding what happened on the trip, but before it. you drop some hints at some sour memory the sibling share regarding that time of the year:

Your brother most definitely heard you from right next door. 

Eyes shut, you fling your hand around while making your way over to tell him to screw off. He knows better than anyone why you could possibly be in one of these moods, dinner woes or not.

⇝ i love the creative ways in which you describe their feelings. i’ve mentioned this in my commentary for the OG chapter, and i’m pretty sure i mentioned it too for forfeit, but i just NEED to point out every time, ‘cus i mean:

A tsk scratches your teeth before you lean the cocoa against your cup, and the kettle boils just as your blood pressure falls close behind.

↪ you could’ve just said she was nervous and angry and whatnot, but no. and i don’t know if it’s because english isn’t my first language, but i struggle so much to write those types of ‘expositions’ on my own work, so i just have to cherish the way you do it.

⇝ another thing i’ve mentioned countless times, but it never fails to amaze me when you do it, is the way you use free indirect speech. there ain’t no filter between the discourse and their thoughts, and what happens is a complete connection with the characters, we feel with them and we think with them, and that happens in every sentence, not only in bigger rants or rationalizations, but in smaller reactions too, for example, the lack of punctuation here that indicates also a stream of consciousness beyond free indirect speech:

Shut up. Just shut up shut up and talk again because Jungkook looks gravely concerned.

↪ and the same here, with no punctuation, just rapid thought and impulsive words shown through free indirect speech:

But the dinner, the dinner, the dinner. You didn’t ask about it, but Yoongi still could’ve said something about it right he could’ve texted well okay this really shouldn’t be that big of a deal anyway maybe it’s nothing but fuck you’re still mad wait you’re saying something,

“Have fun sightseeing.”

↪ and here:

What does he mean he lied what did he lie about he better explain quick or else… a pouch?

↪ and you mastered this tool so well that you’re able to make writing feel a lot like a movie, ‘cus you make as visualize things through this speech, like here:

And he finally reaches to fondle your tits to push you over the edge that knock was on your door.

↪ given that we’re inside the reader’s head, we react to things as she does and it’s not stiff, it’s so fucking organic the way things unfold and develop that ugh it almost makes me frustrated.

↪ and that’s why i love dal segno too. the chapter is intense not because of what happens per say or the bits of information we get, but because of how you translate those events to the page and we are 100% on yoongi’s shoes. i’m behind on my reviews (yours and all the other fics i’m reading), but i can’t wait to get to dal segno and just fight you.

⇝ i don’t have anything specific here to point, other than i thought it was a really smart sequence:

Doors slam a lot louder when they’re huge.

And leave a more prominent silence, too.

↪ again, nothing specific, just nice and creative sentencing that had me scrunching up my nose thinking like “damn, she writes so fucking well, not a single word is wasted to create or further establish mood and atmosphere”:

Triple, layered, compounded silence.

↪ same here. actually here i like how you interject their smut with this reality clashes. how the brother is a looming presence whenever they are together:

Doesn’t he know he’s on severely borrowed, stolen time?

↪ and one more, ‘cus this is just poetic prose at its finest:

So neither do you, simply gazing up at your favorite stars and wondering how their beholder outshines every moon. 

⇝ this is something that you do all the time, but i just love how you reveal stuff in ways and in moments that we’re too in our heads to notice:

“I— Got something at the jeweler.” Lamely waving one hand in the air, you feign normalcy as you just tell the truth. “When we all went together.”

THINGS TO CONSIDER

⇝ this one took me a while to figure, but i know it couldn’t be random:

A hushed conversation determined that Yoongi would only stay for a few more minutes, but neither of you bring it up when a whole seventeen of them fly by. 

↪ but then i remembered:

⇝ we don’t know when the chapter is happening, but reading it after forfeit lead to some bittersweet moments, like:

“I’ll just take you here myself.” 

His look of confidence has you averting your gaze in an instant. 

“Just us.” 

Tonight has taken too many turns into madness. He’s joking, right? It’s not enough to sneak into your room with your door completely unlocked, huh?

No. He’s not serious. You both know that’s the longest shot in history, especially considering your situationship isn’t even fully fleshed out. 

But it’s nice to pretend.

Especially when he sounds so sure it’ll be real someday.

↪ the fact she calls it a situationship (although i get the necessity to make it official), and how she doesn’t really seem to see a future for them… i don’t know, it just made me kinda sad. like when she mentions never telling her brother about their relationship:

Because this little secret cannot be revealed. Not yet, at least. Maybe not ever since your brother would probably riot.

↪ and even after everything that goes down:

…As long as you can keep whatever this is with him up.

↪ although, after the three of them interact and it’s nice and familiar and cozy, she does start to consider it, maybe after having her insecurities dealt with and all, but stil...:

And maybe. Just maybe.

You and Yoongi can stand much closer next season.

⇝ we see reader might also have some sides she's not shown yet. we see how she wants to dom yoongi, how — given the fact that yoongi made her feel comfortable in her sexuality — she acts up and talks stuff too how she said in flutter that she wants to! and i mean:

You’ve been wanting to do this for so long—longer than you’ll ever, ever divulge. All the nights you spent touching yourself imagining him watching from your desk, or even right beside you on the bed, whispering things that you will never admit that you thought of yourself. 

↪ i know we’re all super hyped to see yoongi’s full form, but damn… i think we might be overlooking reader a lil bit too:

Not only that. It’s also reaching into you and unearthing parts that you wouldn’t dare show anyone else. If you were honest, you’re a bit frightened at the thoughts dripping into your mind, coalescing into a dark, wonderful pool.

↪ or:

“Lemme take them off.”

“Why should I?”

“Let me do it and I’ll show you.”

↪ and even:

When you fling the shirt towards him, he doesn’t move an inch as it reaches his shoes.

↪ i mean, ffs:

And you feel it. Your defiance. Coming out once more before you can even stop it, “Being put in your place—” 

↪ also this made me think this happens at least some months after flutter, ‘cus then she voiced a desire she has to talk more about what she wants and here she does it pretty easily (considering how hard it was for her then).

⇝ i kinda wanna see more of just yoongi and bro talking. i don’t think we’ve ever had an interaction with them without the reader listening. the same goes for reader and bro, even if we have some scenes already, their dynamic if very interesting to me, the way they trust and know each other so well, and how much they must’ve been through and it translates in every interaction:

“I mean, this trip is cool and all, but holidays aren’t really…” 

“Our thing. Yeah.” 

⇝ this caught my attention, but if i’m being honest i didn’t get it 😭 at first i thought it was because she said she wanted to forget her name, then i assumed it was so it wouldn’t draw brother’s attention, but i’m not sure:

With a passing thought, you just realized that he hadn’t even been using names until then.

⇝ ok, so i do think they lost their parents. ‘cus they are basically alone at the house all the time, they never reach out to their parents and the only people in reader’s and bro’s life are their friends. besides, it’s often said how bro had this pressure of providing for them both and that’s why he had to outperform at college and get a good job right as he was out too. this chapter makes me think they lost them around christmas eight years ago (although even in sidewalk when yoongi and reader were talking about some memories, her parents weren’t mentioned, so who knows really):

You say it’s one of the things you have most in common, but you do kinda want things to be different. Happier. Very much unlike how you felt over the last eight years or so.

⇝ i also think that yoongi’s stolen bracelet has something to do with his ex… but i have nothing to back it up lol

FINAL THOUGHTS

i wanna first thank you. thank you for being this amazing person, this mesmerizing author and this creative being. then i wanna thank you because you actually wrote this ‘cus we… asked. like, honestly what the fuck. 

also, i know i went feral commenting every other paragraph, but the more i write my own stuff i just know how much effort and brainpower it takes to write the smallest sentence and anticipating the reactions it’ll get, so i just thought i’d like someone to point those little parts out too. i did, however, cut out a bunch of stuff ‘cus it was definitely way too long, like. really lmao

anyway, you are incredible. as a author, to define you, i… well you are [insert lady gaga clip] talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique and… i just really admire you.

the window (3tan) (m) | myg

title:the window (m)   pairing: 3tan!yoongi x reader(f)   series:masterlist | three tangerines | fireworks | house party | basketball | stay | sidewalk talk | friends | dalo | like that | anytime | sundress season | yoongi’s interlude | forfeit | flutter rating/genre: m (18+) ; angst , fluff , smut ; brother’s best friend au, implied age gap au   summary: you get to spend the holidays in a lavish private lodge with your brother and all his friends. but you’re just really fucking sad tonight… and maybe a bit mad, too. note: so in order to not fall more behind than i already am, i went ahead and combined both holiday specials into one🥃this one came about due to window anon’s reminder about yoongi’s window threat, and everyone that proceeded to cause outright chaos all day after that. so if you want someone to yell at for this, yell at them!!! note 2: this is a holiday special! therefore where it fits/if it fits in future canon is not disclosed. so this can be enjoyed as a one-shot, but i still highly recommend reading all the three tangerines series if you haven’t yet<3 it’ll make things make a lot more sense.  warnings: strong language, alcohol, this yoongi requires his own warning tbh, chains making a comeback who is shocked!!!, or*l (m rec), manhandling, hitting it from the back a ha ha, angst :(((, masturb*tion, exhibiti*nism, omg we’re kinda pissed y’all😳, ….c*ckwarming, rough s*x, slow motion l o l, missi*nary, protected s*x, cmnf (clothed male), pain kink :)), kissing haha, !!!angry!!!s*x!!!!, c*wgirl, light d*m/sub dynamics, tense scenes, bro appearance, body worship, yoongi is deliciously aggravating, but so is brat!reader<333, ch*king (m/f rec), head/hair pulling (m/f), multiple org*sms, yoongi’s fit is basically 2022 grammys have funn🥴, cute af aftercare<3 drop date: january 10th, 2023, 7:17pm est word count: 15.3k bc i can’t stfu !! 

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[itsclydebitches]

I kinda wonder, what could bakugou do (hori write bakugou to do) to make him less popular with the "anti" crowd. Like He was a horrid child no doubt and people who try to put blame on Deku or lessen the terrible shit bakugou did aren't great. But as we don't rly see it, we have to assume bakugous behaviour wasn't stopped, we only ever saw his mum "punishing" him when he was being rude after getting kiddnapped. Nothing will excuse what bakugou did, but he has stopped? He's overall a harsh person but he's not harrassing and bullying people anymore, specifically not deku, he's trying to attone for what he did to deku and has now apologised for it. His behaviour was never viewed as justified or good in the series, he's a scary figure in middle school, we're not meant to like his behaviour, so the series itself hasn't justified his actions.

As someone who relate to both bakugou and deku more than I'd like to admit (never told someone to jump tho, that's fucked lol) so I can 100% understand not liking or even hating bakugou but as someone who's not 15 anymore, looking back I also made a lot of really shitty decisions and like bakugou have tried to make up for it, and like deku I was 'friends' with people who hurt me.

Is there anything he can do for the "antis" to just dislike him rather that be "anti"?

(I'm very sorry if you've talked about this somewhere, you can just tell me to look for it if you have, I'll continue to look for your posts on the subject)

Hey there, anon! I think I’ve spoken about this only tangentially and/or in my main Bakugo meta, which is too big for anyone sane to read. So yeah, let’s chat here!

For me personally—and that’s all I can ever do: speak personally. I think it’s important to keep in mind that there is no single solution to please the “anti” crowd. Each fan will be looking for something slightly different in Bakugo’s character, much of which might contradict what a “stan” is currently enjoying. Given how charged a character he is, I'm not sure it's possible to get the entire fandom to like him—what I’m looking for hinges on having a different reading of the story than you seem to. Meaning, I think the series does justify his behavior. Not in any overt, super obvious way like having all the characters go, “Wow, Bakugo! I sure do love how you threaten people all the time. That’s super cool and heroic!” Things are rarely that straightforward. Rather, it’s in a more subtle, but consistent manner that paints a rather conclusive picture across hundreds of chapters.

Simply put, Bakugo is continually rewarded for his actions. Or, if not outright rewarded, his actions are ignored in a way that implies silent acceptance. Characters may not always like what he does... but they're willing to let it slide because Bakugo's heroism was always treated as a given, not something he had to earn and prove.

With the ever necessary disclaimer that I’m not fully caught up yet, here’s a list of some of the things that stood out to me in the first half of the series:

Bakugo’s bullying made him the most popular kid in school.

Bakugo’s bullying was ignored by/outright supported by the teachers.

Bakugo’s bullying did not hinder him from getting into U.A., one of the most prestigious hero schools around.

Despite acting horribly throughout his time at U.A. too, this behavior was continually ignored by the teachers and other authority figures around him.

Bakugo’s struggle to realize that other people aren’t “trash” doesn’t hurt his achievements in any way. He still gets top scores, still wins the tournament, etc.

Bakugo’s behavior gets him special attention from All Might, the greatest hero and Bakugo’s personal idol.

His behavior doesn’t make others dislike him in any manner that’s taken seriously. Everybody is still willing to not just put up with Bakugo, but—in time—start treating his behavior as a quirk (no pun intended lol) that they’re secretly fond of, rather than something he should legitimately be striving to change. Kirishima is the most overt example of this.

This is compounded by his behavior constantly being framed as humorous. Much like with Mineta’s perverted actions, characters might superficially go, “No, that’s bad!” but the story never demands any significant development because then we’d lose the “joke” of Bakugo screaming in rage at the slightest inconvenience, threatening to murder someone over nothing, constantly belittling everyone around him in a “funny” manner, etc. When fans talk about development of a manga character as archetypal and extreme as Bakugo, most don’t really want to see significant change to his base personality. Because then that would result in someone who doesn’t look like the “real” Bakugo: someone nicer, more even-tempered, more mature, etc. But for those of us who were never drawn to that personality in the first place, the continued acceptance of his rude, egotistical, and violent behavior is discomforting. The easiest comparison I can draw is between this and Bakugo’s mother slapping him. That slap is meant to be another “joke”—we see it constantly in shonen anime, something "humorous" you shouldn’t take too seriously because haha, it's just an overprotective mother—but many fans do take it seriously, using it as the basis for a whole “Bakugo was abused and this explains his behavior” reading. Well, I take the “joke” of Bakugo’s threats and insults seriously, especially in a story that starts with something like telling Izuku to jump off the roof. In the same way that many fans want others to treat Bakugo’s mother as a serious topic that has had a negative influence on his development, I want the series to take Bakugo’s everyday actions seriously as a negative influence on… well, everyone around him. But it doesn’t. His base personality is grudgingly adored.

The above two points are seen most overtly in Izuku, who never wavers in his respect for Bakugo despite how Bakugo treats him. Not just prior to U.A., but during their training too. Izuku, as the protagonist, is the emotional heart of this tale, so when he talks about how inspiring Bakugo is, it encourages the reader to see his behavior as inspiring too. Rather than, as said, something that needs to change. Izuku's continued friendship with Bakugo, his adoration of him, and his acceptance of the way he's treated has severely warped how the entire story sees Bakugo's actions. After all, if #pure Izuku can see the good in Bakugo, why can't everyone else? He must not be that bad after all.

I could get into detailed analyses of all the above—like how Bakugo was the one comforted after attacking Izuku outside the dorms at night and how the messed up relationship he has with Izuku is upheld as something to nurture; how the remedial courses he had to take were made to be rather silly, thereby undermining their supposed importance to his development; how Bakugo’s kidnapping had nothing to do with his flaws, but much of the fandom uses it as a way to dismiss any appropriate consequences because, “Hasn’t he suffered enough?” etc.—but in the interest of keeping this within a readable length, I’ll leave it at that. The point is that Bakugo has always been privileged when it comes to his behavior, resulting in others either outright praising it, ignoring it, or demanding that he change a miniscule bit, which always keeps him far below the standards of both his peers and the expectations of a hero. Everyone in 1-A must learn to be even better than the good people they already are... Bakugo needs to learn that other people aren't dirt at the bottom of his shoes. It's never been a particularly impressive development when pit against the rest of the class. All of which can make something like an apology feel pretty hollow. Yes, he’s apologized and I say with all seriousness that that’s great! But how does that apology stack up against 300+ chapters of content? As Bakugo’s words highlight, he's been a really awful person up "until now": he was consumed by Izuku being “miles ahead of [him],” he “looked down on [him]” because he didn’t have a quirk, he “didn’t want to recognize that,” he “hated that,” “grew distant,” “tried to beat you down,” “opposed you and tried to show my superiority over you,” and ends it all with, “it probably doesn’t mean anything telling you all this” before finally getting to the “I’m sorry.” This is basically a laundry list of how horrible a person Bakugo has been for the entire series, with an acknowledgement that this apology is coming really, really late. This is the moment where I could START to like Bakugo, depending on how he acts form here on out, but that pivotal moment arrived after six years of content and in the final arc of the story. It’s too late. Bakugo needed this kind of self-reflection and positive action 250+ chapters ago so he could (hopefully) grow into a better person across the story, not at the story's end. What we got instead is 322 chapters of him being a really horrible person, but the story going out of its way to excuse or even praise that behavior the majority of the time.

As a quick comparison to end on, I think what Bakugo needed was what Soo Jin got in True Beauty. You don’t need to have seen the drama to follow along. The tl;dr is that she has a lot of the core qualities of Bakugo: an all-consuming drive to win that was created due to abusive parents with high expectations, resulting in her bullying a peer to a pretty horrific extent. The difference between them is how the story frames their actions. When Soo Jin becomes the bully she loses everything. Rather than succeeding academically, her grades plummet, making it clear that this anxiety and self-doubt (things the fandom keeps insisting Bakugo is struggling with, but that rarely ever show up in the text) is actually impacting her day-to-day life. Her best friend drops her because she’s not going to support her choices. The boy she likes rejects her. She’s eventually forced to start over somewhere new - which importantly separates her from the girl she was bullying - and get some distance from her parents, resulting in the growth needed to become a healthier, happier, good person again. So when Soo Jin apologizes to the girl she hurt, it feels earned. The story continually recognized how horrific her actions were and put her into a place where she either had to change, or continue losing at everything else that was important to her. Bakugo? Bakugo doesn’t lose. Oh, he claims he does because he’s comparing himself to Izuku constantly, but that’s just him thinking in extremes. He still wins academically. Still wins many battles. Still wins at having friends. Still wins by maintaining the prestige of being a U.A. student. Still wins by getting All Might’s attention. Still wins by receiving Izuku’s respect and an agreement to maintain this rivalry that Bakugo is so obsessed with. Bakugo comes out well 99% of the time, he just thinks he's "lost" because he can't stand not being the absolute best.

For me, the story needed to have Bakugo face consequences for his behavior, not receive rewards and/or have others ignore it, and that revelation/apology needed to come way, way sooner. For me the issue is not a specific action that Horikoshi can have Bakugo do in the next chapter and them bam, I like him now. The problem is Bakugo’s entire concept, how he’s received by the entire cast, and his run across this entire series. "Entire" is the key word there. Which is why the “But he’s apologized. What more do you antis want?” reactions don’t sit well. What we wanted is a better written redemption arc across those 300+ chapters, not a single scene that’s meant to have us forget all the other problems inherent in the story. At this point it’s a far more complicated situation than, “Bakugo just needs to do X, Y, and Z and then we’re golden.” At the end of the day, Horikoshi failed to make me like him as a person and I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to change Bakugo enough to make him likable to me. Bakugo was never the sort of character I’d be inclined towards without a serious, nuanced redemption arc, but sadly, a core, crucial part of that redemption arc took six years to arrive. At this point there’s no way to change the problems in Bakugo’s writing for that huge chunk of the series and not enough time left in the series, it seems, to do the work we should have seen across the entire run. Honestly, idk if the Bakugo we'll get going forward is someone I can just dislike as opposed to being really uncomfortable with, but my money is on there being too little story left and too much investment in upholding Bakugo's base personality for that to happen. I could absolutely be proven wrong! But I think the problems are structural and needed to be better dealt with from page one, not hastily patched over in the final hour.

[serpentstole]

Can I ask what's wrong with Michael W Ford's books? I never read them but I've seen often people recommending them, so I'm curious. Thank you and have a nice day.

Thanks for the question! Sorry if this gets a little long, TL;DR is at the bottom but I've broken down some more specific examples in point form.

I'll preface this by saying that if people get something worthwhile from Michael W Ford's books, that's their business and I'm happy for them. However, there's a few things about his writing and him as a person that I don't really love and struggle to get behind. Most of the specific textual examples I give are from the Bible of the Adversary specifically, as it's one of his more famous books and the only one I personally have had the mental fortitude to page through so far.

- I'm immediately leery of anyone who's often described as a "visionary" or "luminary" on websites selling or listing their books, especially when I've gotten the feeling that it's just that his books are accessible and plentiful. Even among fans of authors like E. A. "Become A Living God" Koetting, the general opinion seems to be that his books lack a lot of consistency and are a bit poorly written. Can confirm for the Bible of the Adversary, at least. There's some parts of that thing that could have used a once-over by an editor.

- I try very hard not to use what happened to the Greater Church of Lucifer/GCoL against him. Another member of the community that I do still (loosely, infrequently) interact with was also involved, and while I sincerely wish they'd both more deeply researched the man they were signing up to run a very public and scrutinized church with, I think his turning into a scam artist who publicly converted to Christianity was enough punishment there. Likewise, I'm a bit uncomfortable with his past involvement with the Order of Nine Angels/ONA/O9A given the fact that they're a pack of murder advocating nazis, but apparently he left when he discovered that fact, so I try to give him the benefit of the doubt that he truly did distance himself from them immediately upon learning of their beliefs, as I don't know when these things became more widely known. However, both of these fumbles alongside how he presents himself and his books just don't sit well with me, as the most generous interpretation is that he was twice-misled in some pretty dangerous and harmful ways by those that are damaging to the public perception of Luciferianism, but still likes to be some figurehead of the Luciferian community. People make mistakes, and people can be misled, and people can learn from past experiences, but his track record is a bit upsetting for a supposed authority.

- His work includes pieces and ideas from occultists or practices that I tend to avoid in my own practice and study, such as Thelema and Crowley's writing as a whole, inspiration taken from the Temple of Set/Setian magic, Qlipoth (because it wouldn't be a Luciferian grimoire without pilfered Jewish mysticism), and forms of Gnosticism that embrace the idea of God as an evil demiurge (which i explained my discomfort with in my previous post). I'm also not a huge fan of his "all magic comes from within" approach (and find it hard to reconcile with his frequent use of Luciferian deities/spirits and demons), nor that he'll talk about Cain's role in "Luciferian grimoires" without actually naming any... though given how similar a piece of Lilith themed artwork he's done looks to Andrew Chumbley's illustration, I assume he means the sort of books the Cultus Sabbati was writing. I wish I still had the Ford version saved or could remember which of his books it's from, the side by side comparison is painful but without it I risk looking like I'm making things up.

- Heavy, heavy use of Lilith, which I don't love for reasons I outlined before. She mostly seems to appear whenever spooky lustful sex magick is being discussed, which is great, that's great.

- He also uses the Wiccan wheel of the year sprinkled in among his more Luciferian focused holy days, which is just really funny to me. Why are we celebrating Beltane, Michael? Why are we celebrating Imbolg? (Page 69)

- He likes to use a lot of "black magic" and "vampyre magic" stuff which tends to feel very sensationalized and over the top to me. I've seen discussions of vampiric magic I found very interesting, but so far his hasn't been one of them.

- He sometimes seems to conflate Lucifer with Samael which I really truly dislike, though it's admittedly not the most baffling or out of left field take I've seen.

- Ford at times seems to either willfully misrepresent or misunderstand information he's passing along. For example, in the Bible of the Adversary he says that Cain's name comes from "...root ‘Kanah’ which means to possess. This by itself presents the antinomian nature of his essence, while instead of sacrificing his most bountiful items to the Lord, he kept them for himself." As I understand it, discussion surrounding Cain's name possibly coming from the Hebrew word קנה (kana) lean more into it being the word for to get or to obtain, referencing Eve's declaration after his conception that she'd gotten a man from the Lord. I'm all for alternate interpretations, but it feels like needless edgy-fying to fit the narrative he's trying to present. (Quote from Page 58)

- He'll say some absolutely bonkers shit like "Abel in some Luciferian Lore is considered a lower pre-form of Cain, thus the sacrifice was not literal" with zero citations or references. Like sir what the fuck does that mean, what Lore, please give us the lore please. (Footnote, Page 59)

- His interpretation of the Watchers and the Book of Enoch is so insultingly bad that I won't even relay it here, but if I see one more person claim that an angel, demon, or spirit they want to distance from Christianity or Judaism is actually a Babylonian god I'm going to go feral.

- As I've hinted at above, it feels like he'll just cherry pick and regurgitate for no real purpose. A few spirits from other texts like the Lesser Key and the Grimoire Verum get mentioned for... mostly the set of names, it seems like, he just kind of lists them out of context.

TL;DR, Michael W Ford feels (to me at least) like someone who has picked out the more appealing and edgy occult trivia and magic he could find from a wide range of sources, recontextualized the parts that didn't appeal to him until they fit his aesthetic and purposes, and presented them as a workable entry point to the Luciferian religion and its potential magical systems that is all flash no substance... and then could barely polish the flash. I don't like that he's many people's first exposure to the concept of theistic Luciferianism, and I don't like how authoritatively he presents his jumbled works as what the religion is truly about when it's so broad a label. Again, if there is something that someone finds useful within his books I am very happy for them, but I have struggled to find anything I could point to that make them worth the read... even for me to investigate further keep critiquing.

I honestly do not know why so people recommend them, unless it's just that they're easy to buy, reasonably inexpensive, and specifically have the Luciferian label on them. If that's truly the case, those people are being lazy and uncritical in a way that doesn't speak well to their apparent Luciferian ideals.

[deathlikelead]

y r the shameless men in jail btw

oof okay so buckle up, this is about to be a whole lot of text blocks, but i love them and i'm allergic to shutting the fuck up.

so ian ran away to join the army, but he was 17, so he stole lip's (his older brother) identity to join up, but he had a break while he was there after developing bipolar disorder and tried to steal a helicopter, but just ended up breaking the rotors, and then going awol. he starts doing drugs and Erotic Dancing™ in boys town for money even though he's still seventeen, but when he finally comes home and cleans up, and after he's kidnapped his boyfriend's son, he finally gets diagnosed with bipolar disorder and gets medication. the medication Fucks Him Up, and he purposefully burns his hand on a hot stove just trying to Feel Something, which doesn't work, but he comes home, and his older half-adopted paternal sister/half-biological paternal cousin, sammi, is patching him up, and he confesses everything to her because he's making conversation and he's also an idiot. later on, carl, ian's younger brother, gets chuckie, sammi's son, arrested bc he's got him carrying drugs for him, and sammi is pissed that chuckie got arrested, so to get back at the entire family, she reports ian to the military police so that they have to lose someone they care about, too.

ian gets out of prison in like three days, but that's not before mickey (ian's boyfriend, as you probably can tell) and debbie (ian's little sister) have taken it upon themselves to enact revenge on sammi. the plan was to drug her and torture her, but mickey didn't know she had prescription meds, so the drugging goes a little Too Well, and he and debbie assume that she's dead and pack her body up in a moving crate and decide from there on out, it's someone else's problem. except she's not dead. so she shows back up like a week later, full of fury. she makes several attempts to shoot mickey in revenge, and that draws the attention of police, landing both of them in prison for attempted murder.

ian and mickey break up. ian pretends to move on. a year later, mickey, the slutty slutty man that he is, has seduced his way into escaping prison. (the funny part of this is that ian currently has a boyfriend and he's there when the cops show up to ask ian if mickey has contacted him. the second the cop says "mikhailo aleksandr milkovich" you can actually see the relationship end lol) so anyway, mickey shows back up. they fuck like old lovers. mickey asks ian to run away with him, and the two of them head for the border together. ian decides he can't go, but mickey doesn't really have a choice, so he leaves for mexico and ian goes home.

ian's mom dies. ian has a remarkably bad manic episode and the Gay Jesus phenomenon is born. he blows up a van. when he finally does go down for this, he's in his cell, taking a minute to breathe and process the fact that he's in fucking prison. and then, the door to his cell opens and there's mickey, smirking at him and making top and bottom jokes. mickey, having presumably heard about ian's episode, given like the entire world knows, since it was Very Public, and Very Viral, turns himself in and rolls on the drug cartel he'd been working for in mexico in exchange for choosing where he gets locked up and who his cellmate is.

so tl;dr: ian's in prison for arson, mickey's in prison for attempted murder and homosexuality.

[scruffyssketchbook]

I've been really inactive lately, so I'll try to get this posted.

I noticed something that might classify as a plot hole. The PC system add-on that allows pokemon to get injured.

For starters, we never get an explanation for why this add-on was added in the first place. Supposedly, Vay was loopy from his "karp krakers", and put the add-on into the PC without thinking.

Also, we never get an explanation as to how this add-on works. Or, more accurately, how the PC works. Does the PC normally prevent the eevees from feeling pain and being injured at all? For example, even if Blizz tried his hardest, punching someone would be like punching a brick wall for an average person. Or, does the PC simply heal any major injuries the eevees take on? Or is it somewhere in between?

I know that, from the perspective that this is a comic that needs drama, having the add-on allows characters to hurt each other. (See Jed and Shane.) But, from an in comic perspective, this makes no sense.

Secondly, even if we did have a good explanation for how the add-on came to be, why didn't the trainer just get rid of it. And I don't want the explanation that she's stupid. She is 16, she knows how to work a computer. Even if she didn't, she could force Vay to do it, or get Bede (The person who runs the PC system in Sinho) to do it. I also don't want the explanation that she is negligent. She is, but she took the time to look into it after Harmony got hurt. I doubt she would just turn around and do nothing after learning about the add-on.

I may be missing context here, as there is one comic page that I can't access, the page 100 variation on patreon. Maybe there's an explanation in there, but I wouldn't know.

Thirdly, even if we ignore the trainer, what about Dusk? We already know that he has tried to get Blizz to work with him in stopping Icedrop and Greenpaw from fighting. Not to beat around the bush, Greenpaw does bully Icedrop, they just do it in a more covert, mental, and emotional way than Icedrop bullies Greenpaw.

However, Blizz refuses to help, partially because both Dusk and Blizz are petty. If Dusk genuinely wants to stop Icedrop, why not just get rid of the add-on? We know Dusk can manipulate electronics, so why not just delete the add-on, either from within the PC, or sneakily from outside it? Furthermore, Dusk is not stupid. He knows that Vay added the add-on, or at least could figure that out. He and Vay are also in good relations, so why doesn't he, or hasn't he, asked Vay to get rid of the add-on?

The explanation of "Dusk is just a jerk" does not work. Dusk can be a jerk, but everything he does he does for a reason. Most of him being a jerk comes from him being egotistical, narcissistic, and thinking he knows what's best for everyone even when he doesn't.

The only explanation that works is that he doesn't get rid of the add-on due to the fact it would put Daisy and the other hospital vees out of a job.

Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that pokemon other than eevee exist in the trainer's PC. We even get to see one of the other boxes. My point here is that the other pokemon would notice something wrong eventually. Best case senario, they notice due to realizing they can feel pain. Worst, they notice due to a major injury not being healed by the PC.

Those pokemon would want to know what happened. Amusing they either are told the truth or find out on their own, why wouldn't they ask Vay to take off the add-on. If Dusk (since he is the only one I can think of who would try to spin a story) told them a lie, then would every pokemon in the entire PC believe him. Charm and smooth words can only go so far.

___________________________________________________

I have two extra questions I thought up while writing this.

Bonus question 1: How did the trainer know that Harmony was injured? Did vay tell her? She check the pokemon's health in the PC often (both stat, and convential health)?

Bonus 2: If we know pokemon can learn to read and write, then why have none of the pokemon other than Vay tried to communicate with their trainer. What is the point of using Vay as a translator, when the pokemon could just write to the trianer? Do they just want to hide how much they know?

On top of that, if pokemon can learn to use computers, what's stooping them from just using text to speech, completely circumventing Vay all together.

bonus 3: Do the pokemon age in the PC? We know Eve is around two years old, so is she physically still a newborn, or has she physically grown?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summary/tl;dr

q1: What are the specifics of how the damage allowing add-on was put into the PC?

q2: How does this add-on, and the PC system's healing ability, work?

q3: Why didn't their trainer take the add-on off the PC?

q4: Why didn't Dusk take the add-on off the PC?

q5: Why didn't any of the other pokemon in the PC take off the add-on?

bq1: How did the trainer know that Harmony was injured?

bq2: Why don't we ever see pokemon that know how to write communicate with the trainer?

bq3: Do the pokemon physically age in the PC?

Author chan: Over here asking the important questions! Alright! I can explain!

The mod basically prevents pokemon from healing without outside means like things that can heal a pokemon, Potions, full heals, antidotes, etc etc. This is why it's called the Damage keeper mod.

Normally in the PC, pokemon can feel pain, but they will quickly heal overtime, but with the mod, it just stops this function all together. Usually in the world, it's used with the "No heal on Entrance" mod for trainers who participate in Nuzlocke challenges.

Vay inputted the Damage keeper mod into the PC for one reason, and one reason only. No, he wasn't loopy, He knew what he was doing, and added it on purpose. It was a pretty selfish decision all in all, but I can't say the reason why. It's vaguely hinted to tho. Yes! It makes no sense to have a mod like that inputted in universe. Literally no other character would ever put in this mod into the if given the chance! But, Vay put it in for a specific purpose. Said purpose was actually shown in "Battle scars". Now. Why would Vay do this? Why would he input a mod that makes all pokemon to keep the damage they receive in the box?

Well. He simply only thinks of himself. He didn't think or care about the effect the mod would have on the other pokemon in the PC, just how he could use it to do what he wanted to do. And yes. Vay is a jerk. He's my least favorite main for a reason, you know.

Next up!

As said in comic 200c, Mods are very hard to take off. Why? Well. We are dealing with actual creatures. One wrong move and hundreds of them will get corrupted and essentially die. This isn't like Minecraft, despite me comparing the PC to a minecraft server for explaining how it works to others. Since this mod affects the pokemon directly, its harder to remove because it’s just a big risk for the pokemon. This is also why Dusk cant just remove it. It is too big of a risk to all the pokemon in the PC, which there are over 1000 of at this point. Healing items and free hospitals are a temporary fix.

Also! Blizz does try to help with the bullying, as seen with comic #302, where he states "It's a misunderstanding" followed by text covered by Bolt talking/ignoring him saying "I saw a greenpaw eevee being bullied by Mike and Tike and-" Which, we see on page #298 Tike was the eevee he was punishing.

Lastly! Why don't the other pokemon notice. Well, The few who have been in a PC before do, but most of the pokemon were wild pokemon before they appeared in the PC, so they don’t know how a normal PC feels like. And ofc, how would a pokemon know who to ask about why the PC works the way it does? Mods are common in the world, cause trainers like to give PC pokemon things to do while rotting away. This is actually going to be talked about with Eevui, the new Eevee the trainer obtained via wondertrading. He was in a normal PC before he was traded, so he'd notice the difference, and will comment on it. Funny thing, I have a comic about him trying to describe the PC to pokemon who never been in one before before he goes in the trainer's pc, and it looks completely different from OUR PC box.

Bonus Questions!!

Harmony was brought out of the PC, to the pokemon center, and a nurse Joy informed her that her pokemon was badly injured.

Bro, you so right. I realized this last year and was like "omg" until I remembered that- Pokemon language is different from human language. Ofc, there are pokemon who can read human language in the world, but pokemon and human stuff are different. And in the PC, things are translated into pokemon if not already in pokemon. This does mean pokemon can write to the trainer and it can get translated, but Vay is just an easier method of translation, especially for pokemon who have a harder time reading, writing, and typing (also there are different pokemon languages as well so oof) then like. Not every pokemon knows how to read and write. It’s a privlage usually given only to few captive pokemon. Wild pokemon learning how to read/write in their own language is VERY RARE, especially due to the lack of materials. And the only civilized boxes in the PC are box 1, 2, and 3, so only pokemon living in those boxes have a reason to learn how to read, and resources to learn.

Pokemon are born the height that they stay at all their life, unless they evolve. (Or are Nego. The little weirdo) This is to mimic how it is in pokemon games. So, no. Pokemon don't physically grow. They DO mentally age however. Pokemon tend to age mentally at different rates, so for example, a newborn who is immediately thrusted into situations not meant for a baby (ie, breeding, battling, contests) will mentally age faster than someone (like Eve) Who has stayed in the PC all their life. Nego and Eve are about the same age (Nego being 6 months older) Yet, Nego acts like an infant while Eve does not. This is because Nego ages physically and mentally like a human, while Eve ages quicker mentally, like pokemon do. This also tends to mean that when a pokemon is born doesn't matter much, as they can mentally be ahead or behind.

I hope these answered your questions!! I like talking about SSEC world building! (Its just that I never have the chance to talk about it in detail QuQ)

[scifrey]

WORDS FOR WRITERS: The Value of Fanfiction

There’s been a lot of chatter on social media these last few weeks, recycling that trashy, self-aggrandizing, tired old “hot take” that reading and writing fanfiction is somehow bad for you as a writer.

Before we go any further, let me give a clear and definitive answer to this take:

No, reading and writing fanfiction will not make you and does not make you a bad reader or writer.

 Period.

 Why? Here’s the TL;DR version:

1)      Reading and Writing, any kind of reading and writing, will make you a better reader and writer. And it’s enjoyable, to boot.

2)      Fanfiction has been around as long as Original Fiction, so we’d know if there was any negative impact by now (spoiler alert: there isn’t.)

3)      Practice is Practice, so matter what medium you get that practice in.

4)      Comprehending and writing fanfiction is harder than writing original fiction because you have to hold the Source Media Text in your head at the same time as you’re reading/writing a different story. It improves your understanding of storytelling.

5)      No hobby, no matter what it is, so long as it doesn’t harm anyone else or yourself, is bad. And that goes double for if you decide to keep it a hobby. Not every fanfic writer wants to write original fiction, and that’s just fine. Not every hobby has to be monetized.

 Okay. But what do they mean by “fanfiction”?

 “Fanfiction is fictional writing written by fans, commonly of an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settings, or other intellectual properties from the original creator as a basis for their writing.”-- Wikipedia

 Basically – it’s when you take elements (setting, characters, major themes or ideas) of a Media Text (a novel, a movie, a podcast, a comic, etc.) and create a different story with those elements. You can write a missing scene, or an extended episode, or a whole new adventure for the characters of the Media Text. You can even crossover or fuse multiple Media Texts, or specific elements, to create a whole new understanding of the characters or their worlds.

 Similar to fanfic, you can also create fanart, fancomics, or fansongs (“filk”), fancostumes (“cosplay”), and fanfilms. These are called Fanworks or Fancrafts.

 Fanfiction is usually posted to online forums, journals, blogs, or story archives and shared for free among the public. Before the advent of the internet, fanfiction was often printed or typed, and hand-copied using photocopiers or ditto machines, and distributed for free (or for a small administration fee to cover materials) among fans at conventions, or through mail-order booklets (“zines”).

 Fanfiction has existed pretty much since the beginning of storytelling (A Thousand and One Nights, Robin Hood, and King Arthur all have different elements attributed to them by different authors retelling, twisting, adding to, or changing the stories; there’s no single-origin author of those tales.)

 There are billions on billions of fanfics out there in the world—and while a majority of them are romance stories, there are also adventures, comedies, dramas, thrillers, stories based on case files, stories about the emotional connection between characters when one is hurt and the other must care for them, historical retellings, etc. There are also stories for every age range and taste, though be sure to take heed of the tags, trigger warnings, and age range warnings as your browse the archives and digital libraries.

 As a reader, it’s your responsibility to curate your experience online.

 So why are people so afraid or derisive of fanfic?

 People who are hard on fanfic say that…

 ·       It sucks.

o   Well of course it sucks! As it’s a low-stakes and easy way to try out creative writing for the first time, the majority of fanfiction is overwhelmingly written by new and young writers. Everything you do when you first try it sucks a little bit. 

I’m sure no figure skater was able to immediately land perfect triple axels ten minutes after they strap on the skates for the first time in their lives. No knitter has ever made a flawlessly perfect jumper on their first try. No mathematician has ever broken the code to send a rocket into space after having just been taught elementary-school multiplication. So why on earth do people think that new writers don’t need to practice? I can promise you that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first rap was probably pretty shaky.

·       It’s lazy or it’s cheating.

o   Listen, anyone who tells you that writing anything is lazy clearly has not sat down and tried to write anything. Writing is tedious. It is boring. It takes hours, and hours, and hours to get anything on the page, and then once it’s on the page you have to go back and edit it. UGH. There is nothing about being a writer—even a fanfic writer—that is lazy.

o   And anyone who tells you that trying to tell a fresh, new story within the limits and confines of a pre-existing world and have it make sense is cheating, then they have no freaking clue how hard it is to be creative with that kind of limitation placed on you. It’s harder when you have a set of rules you need to follow. What you do come up with is often extremely interesting and creative because of those limitations, not in spite of them.

o   The argument that using pre-made characters, settings, tropes, and worlds to make up a new story is cheating is also complete bunk. Do those same people also expect hockey players to whittle and plane themselves a whole new hockey stick from scratch before each game? No, of course not. And yeah, a baker can grow all their own wheat, grind the flour, raise the chickens and cows so they can get eggs and milk, distill the vanilla, etc. Or a baker can buy a box mix. Either way, you get a cake at the end of the process. Whether you write fanfic or original fiction, you still get a story at the end of the process.

·       It makes you a worse writer.

o   * annoying buzzer noise * Practicing anything does not make you worse at it. And reading stories that are not edited, expertly crafted, or “high art” will also not indoctrinate you into being a bad writer. If anything, figuring out why you don’t like a specific story, trope, or writing style is actually a great way to learn what kind of writer you want to be, and to learn different methods of constructing sentences, creating images, and telling tales. Or you know, just how much spelling and grammar matter.

·       It’s not highbrow or thoughtful enough.

o   Sometimes stories are allowed to be just comfort food. Not every book or story you read has to be haute cuisine or boringly nutritious. You are allowed to read stories because they’re exciting, or swoony, or funny, or just because you like them. Anyone who says differently is a snob and worth ignoring. (Besides, fun silly stories can also be packed with meaning and lessons—I mean, hello, Terry Pratchett, anyone?)

·       It makes you waste all your time on writing that can’t be monetized.

o   No time is wasted if you spend it doing something that brings you joy. Not every hobby needs to be a money-maker and not everyone wants to be a professional writer. You are allowed to write, and read, fanfic just for the fun of it.

·       It’s theft.

o   According to Fair Use Law, it’s not. As long as the fanfic writer (or artist, cosplayer, etc.) is not making money on their creation that directly impacts or cuts into the original creator’s profit, or is not repackaging/plagiarizing the original Media Text and profiting off it’s resale, then Fan Works are completely legal. So there.

 How, exactly, does fanfic make you a better writer?

 Fanfiction…

 ·       teaches you to finish what you start.

o   The joy of being able to share your fic, either as you’re writing it, or afterward, is a big motivating factor for a lot of people. They finish because they get immediate feedback on it from their readers and followers. Lots of people have ideas for books, but how many of them do you know have actually sat down and written the whole thing?

o   Fanfic is also low-stakes; there’s nothing riding on whether you finish something or not, so you have to inspire yourself to get there without the outside (potentially negative) motivation of deadline or a failing grade if you don’t get the story finished. You end up learning how to motivate yourself.

o   Fanfic has no rules, so you write as much or as little as you want, stop wherever you think is a good place to end the story, write it out of order, or go back and write as many sequels or prequels as you like. Again, it’s totally low-stakes and is meant to be for fun, so you can noodle around with what it means to write a “whole” story and “complete” it, which teaches you how you like to write, and how you like to find your way to the finish line.

·       teaches you story structure.

o   Before you can sit down and write a story based on one of your favorite Media Texts, you’re likely to spend a lot of time consuming that text passively, or studying it actively. Either way, you’re absorbing how and why Media Text structures the stories it tells, and are learning how to structure your own from that.

o   Once you’re comfortable with the story structure the Media Text you’re working in is told, you’ll probably start experimenting with different ways stories can be told, and find the versions you like to work with best.

·       teaches you how to write characters consistently.

o   Fanfic is really hard because not only do you have to write your fave characters in a way that moves the story along, but they have to be recognizable as those fave characters.

o   This means you have to figure out their body language, verbal and physical tics, their motivations and they way the handle a crisis (fight, flight, or fawn?), and then make up the details you may need for your story that you may never see on screen/the page, like how they take their eggs or what their fave shampoo is, based on what you already know about them. That takes some top-notch detective work and character understanding to pull off.

o   Once you know how to do that, just making up a whole person yourself for original fiction is a breeze.

·       Teaches you how to hear and mimic a character/narrator voice.

o   You have to pay close attention to how an actor speaks, or how a character’s speech patterns, dialect, work choice, etc. is reflected on the page in order to be consistent in your story.

o   And all of this, in turn, teaches you how to build one for yourself.

o   I have a whole series of articles here about building a narrative voice, if you want to read more on constructing an original voice for your narrator.

·       Teaches you how to create or recreate a setting.

o   Again, like achieving character consistency, or mimicking a character or narrative voice, it takes work and paying attention in order to re-create a setting, time period, or geographical region in a fanfic—and if you’re taking your characters somewhere new, your readers will expect that setting to be equally rich as the one the Media Text is based in.

o   Which, again, teaches you how to then go and build an original one for yourself.

·       teaches how to take critique.

o   Professional writing is not a solitary pursuit. In fact, most writing is not entirely the work of an author alone. Like professional authors work with editors, critique partners, and proofreaders, some fanfiction writers will sometimes work with beta-readers or editors as well. This are friends or fanfic colleagues who offer to read your fanfic and point out plot, character, consistency, or story structure errors, or who offer to correct spelling and grammar errors. This is a great way to practice working with editors if you decide to pursue a professional career, and also a great way to make friends and strengthen your community and skill set if you don’t.

o   Many fanfic sites offer readers the opportunity to leave a comment on a fic, rather like a reviewer can leave a review on GoodReads or Amazon, or any other online store or blog, for a novel they’ve read. Sometimes these comments/reviews are 5 star and enthusiastic! Sometimes they are… not. The exact opposite in fact. As you get comments on your fanfic, and learn to ignore the ones that are just mean rather than usefully critical, you gain the Very Important Skill of learning to resist firing back at bad comments or reviews, while enjoying the good ones.  It also teaches you how to ignore drama or haters.

·       Teaches you how to exist within a like-minded community.

o   While the actual writing part of writing is solitary and sometimes tedious, nothing is ever published into a vacuum, whether it be fanfiction or original. Besides your editing/critique/beta reader group, you will also likely develop friendships, a support network, and mutuals. It’s always great to uplift, support, cheer on, and celebrate one another’s accomplishments and victories, whether the writing is fanfic or original.

·       Teaches you that it’s okay to write about things important to you, or your own identity.

o   You can change a characters ethnicity, cultural background, sexuality, religion, or disabilities to match yours, and talk about your lived life through the megaphone of that character. Or, you can insert original characters based on you, your desires, and experiences.

o   Once you’re comfortable writing in your #ownvoice in fanfic, you can approach it in original fiction, if you like.

o   See my article titled Your Voice Is Valid for more on this.

 What if I want to be a professional writer?

 Notice how I didn’t say “real writer”. Any writer who writes any kind of story is a ‘real’ writer. I mean, pinch yourself—you’re real, right? The difference is actually between being an “amateur” writer (a hobbyist who does not write for pay), and a “professional” (who is paid for their writing). Just because you only play shinny on the street with your friends, or in a house league on the weekends, it’s doesn’t mean  you’re not still as much of a hockey player as someone who plays in the NHL.

 Writing fanfiction before or at the same time as writing original fiction that you intend to sell is a great way to learn, or practice, everything I’ve mentioned above. If you read it widely, it will also expose you to different story telling styles, voices, and tropes than your reading of published fiction.

 ·       Can I sell my fanfic?

o   No. For fanfiction to remain under the umbrella of Fair Use Law, you cannot profit off your fanfiction. There’s some grey-area wiggle room around things like charging a small amount for a ‘zine or a PDF to cover administrative costs, but zero wiggleability around, say, selfpublishing your fanfic and charging heaps for it.

·       Can I “file off the serial numbers”?

o   “Filing of the series numbers” is when you take a fanfic you’ve written and essentially pull it apart, remove everything that’s clearly someone else’s Media Text, and reassembling the story so that it’s pretty much a completely original piece of creative writing.

o   Yes, you can sell these, provided your filing is rigorous enough that you aren’t likely to be dinged for plagiarism. It’s widely known that Cassandra Claire’s Shadowhunters was once Harry Potter fanfic, and that Fifty Shades of Gray was once Twilight fanfic. But did you know that my Triptych started life as an idea for a Stargate Atlantis fic? There’s lots of stories out there that were once full fics, or the idea for the novel was originally conceived for a fandom, but written as original instead.

o   So long as you’re careful to really rework the text so that it’s not just a find-name-replace-name rewrite, you should be fine.

o   Be aware, though, that the agents and editors you might pitch this novel to know how to Google. They may discover that this is a filed-off story, and depending on their backgrounds and biases, might be concerned about it. There’s no need to inform them of the novel’s origin straight off in your pitch/query letter, but you may want to have a frank discussion with them about it after it’s been signed so they can help you make sure that any lingering copywrited concepts or characters are thoroughly changed before publication.

o   Should you take down the original fic-version of the novel while you’re querying/shopping it? Well, that’s up to you, and whether you’re comfortable with an editor/agent potentially finding it.

·       Should I be ashamed of my fic, or take it down, or pretend I never wrote fic?

o   What? Why? No! I mean, I have hidden some of my most immature work, but I’ve left pretty much my whole catalogue of fanfic online and I don’t deny that I was/am a ficcer. Why? Because it’s a great repository of free stories that people can read before they buy one of my books, so they can get a taste of how and what I write. Also, you will be in good company. Lots and lots of writers who are published now-a-days started in fandom, including:

Steven Moffat

Seanan McGuire

Rainbow Rowell

Claudia Gray

Cory Doctorow

Marissa Meyer

Meg Cabot.

Naomi Novik

Neil Gaiman

Lev Grossman

S.E. Hinton

John Scalzi

The Bronte Sisters

Andy Weir

Sarah Rees Brennan

Marjorie M. Liu

Anna Todd

...and me, J.M. Frey

 How fanfic can harm.

 Like with anything else, there are ways that reading and writing fanfiction can actually harm you, or others, but it has nothing to do with the reading or writing of fanfiction in and of itself.

 ·       Some creators may prefer that you don’t (and may or may not follow up with legal action).

o   Anne Rice famously went after fanficcers in the 90s who wrote fanfic of her work, handing out Cease & Desist notices like confetti.

o   99% of creators don’t care. Those who do will generally have a notice on their websites or social media politely asking fancreators to refrain. Mostly this is due to their general discomfort over the idea of anyone else getting to play in their worlds. The best thing to do is respect that request, and find a different fandom to write in.

·       Flamewars and fandom fights leading to bullying and doxing.

o   Regrettably, just like any other community filled with people who have different favorites, opinions, and preferences, there will inevitably be clashes. It’s up to you to decide how to react to negative interactions, and how to model positive ones.

o   Don’t forget, you curate your online experience, so don’t be afraid of that block button.

o   Also, don’t be the jerk who goes after people for liking different aspects of the fandom. Everyone is entitled to interact and like a Media Text their own way. “Don’t yuck my yum,” as they say.

·       Trying to make money on other people’s IP/Media Text (law suits, etc.)

o   It doesn’t belong to you, so don’t try to make money on it.

o   There’s a grey area here in terms of selling prints/plushies/jewelry/etc. and there’s no hard line about where one copyright owner will draw the line, and another won’t. Warner Bros. owns the film rights for both Harry Potter and Hunger Games, but I’ve seen Harry Potter-themed bars spring up while fans wanting to make Hunger Game fanfilms have been shut down. A friend of mine sells hand-made fandom-inspired items at cons—there is no rhyme or reason to what she gets told to stop making and what she’s left alone on.

o   Best thing to do if you’re told to stop is just so stop, move on, and find a different fandom to be active in.

·       Writing Real Person Fanfic (“RPF”) can be considered a violation of consent.

o   This article sums it up pretty well, but basically… if you decide to write RPF, be aware that they person you are writing about is a real person, with real thoughts, and emotions, and they may feel violated by RPF. If you decide to write it, never send it to the people it’s about, and always clearly tag it so other can choose to engage with it, or avoid it.

o   Also be aware that it could ruin their love for what they do. For example: the friendships between the members of 1Direciton became strained and the band eventually disintegrated because people wouldn’t stop sending band members smutty stories or art of them having sex with one another, and it made them too uncomfortable to continue in the band.

·       Showing/sharing fanfic & fanart outside of its intended context. Fanworks are for fans, and there are definitely issues if…

o   It’s shown to celebrities/actors/creators.

  Shoving your fantasies onto the people who create or portray your fave characters is rude, and wrong, and also kinda gross. If they seek it out themselves, that’s one thing, but the same way you wouldn’t throw it at a complete stranger, don’t throw it at them. You may love the characters these people play, but they are not their characters, and they are not your friends.

  It may also really weird them out and ruin their love for what they do.

o   it’s shown to writers working on the series.

  There was a famous case where a fanficcer sent a story to a novelist, and the novelist was accused of plagiarism by the ficcer when their next novel in the series resembled the plot of that fanfic. There was a whole court case and everything.

  Because of this, writers of TV shows, books, etc. don’t want to (and often times, legally can’t) read your fanfic. They don’t want to get accidentally inspired by what you’ve written, or worse, have to throw out something because it resembles your fic too closely. Just let them write their stories the way they want, and if they choose to seek out fic, they will.

o   it’s mocked by celebrities.

  I’m not letting Alan Carr and Graham Norton off the hook. If it’s super rude and gross to shove fanworks at actors/writers/creators when you’re a creator, then it’s doubly rude for anyone to take a story or art made for a specific audience (the fans), by a specific community (the fans), lift it out of it’s context, and invite the public to mock it while also shoving it at the actor/celebrity in a place where they are literally cornered and can’t leave (i.e. the chat-show sofa). Man, it really steams me up when they do that. It’s rude and it’s tone-deaf, and it’s not fair.

  And most of the time they do it, they don’t even ask the artist or writer for permission, first, which is just…. Uuuuugggghhhh. It may be fanfic, but it was still created by someone, and you should always ask permission before publicly sharing something created by someone else.

  Grrrrrrr.

 In Conclusion

 If someone tells you that reading or writing fanfic is bad for you as a creator, tell them to get bent.

Famous Fanfic

·       Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda

·       Wicked by Gregory Maguire

·       Wicked: the Musical by Stephen Schwartz

·       The Phantom of Manhattan by Fredrick Forsyth

·       A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman

·       Sherlock by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat

·       The Dracula Tape, by Fred Saberhaugen

·       Paradise Lost, John Milton

·       Inferno, by Dante

·       The Aeneid, by Virgil

·       Ulysses, by James Joyce

·       Romeo & Juliet, by William Shakespeare

·       The Once and Future King by T.H. White

·       A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, by Mark Twain

·       The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas

·       Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith

·       Phantom, a novel of his life by Susan Kaye

·       …and so many more.

[drewtanakagf]

tl;dr: It’s not so much the religion that drew Hades/Pluto to Maria and Marie, but how both of live within the sociopolitical climate of the 1920s-40s mirrors his own existence of being outcast and forced to conform. Or I could be completely wrong and making it too deep. 

*footnotes are in text as (#) and at the way bottom

It was pretty much a connection I made and I was like "huh, wonder why that is." I don't think I can assert anything because 1) I am not Rick Riordan, 2) I am passively catholic at best and 3) this is off the top of my head so I definitely got some details wrong. 

During that time, the god's area of influence shifted from Europe to the US because of WW2 and the US becoming a global superpower off the back of both world wars. Hazel and Nico were born in the same idk. 20 year period? (1) in two completely different continents.

Now this is a classic Rick Riordan plot hole because it was detailed that WW2 happened bc of The Big Three and their kids in PJO in EU, but in HOO Hazel was born both pre-WW2 and in the US, not to mention the American Civil War was between Greeks and Romans. So unless the gods really loved bouncing between continents and had two Mt.Olympus, that shouldn't have happened.

Back to religion: Catholicism was very prevalent in both Louisiana and Italy (and still is) and we can make that connection between them, however, I don't think that Marie was truly Catholic. (OMG! VOODOO TIME!!!)

Marie is pretty much a "witch" and I personally think that she practiced voodoo, which has its roots in both African and European religious practices (mostly catholicism) due to the slave trade. Since they lived in 1930s Louisiana, it would have been looked down upon as "devil practice" which I think does come up in one of Hazel's flashbacks (2) 

The point of this is, from what I recall in my very surface level research of voodoo (3) they're mostly concerned with the forces of life and death, but VERY much death. So that could have very well attracted Pluto along with Marie's wishes for riches. (She was a Black woman in 1930s Louisiana. I can't blame her for wanting more 😭). Instead, she got Hazel who was cursed by her greed. (4) Due to that, Hazel was enrolled in a (segregated, i elaborate more in the footnotes why this is important) (5) catholic school to “fix” her. In that sociopolitical climate being Catholic or at least some denomination of Christian is the “right” thing, both among white and Black folks, all because of you guessed it! Slavery and its effects. 

Keep in mind the systemic quality of Catholicism: It’s not just a religious but political institution that held and still holds a lot of power. (Who else holds a lot of power that Hades/Pluto isn't invited to? I wonder)

Now, pop across to Italy, right before WW2. Fascism. I think that's the basis, and the fact that an authoritarian govt is generally going to either look down on religion or make it the end all be all. Which Italy I'm pretty sure did the latter considering the Vatican is right there. Religion pretty much governs people's lives and need for survival.

Maria falls in love with a god from a polytheistic pantheon, which is 1) Not supposed to exist and 2) is sooo against Catholicism/ Christianity its not even funny. And you can assume a bit since Maria knew who Hades was that she’s not as staunch of a Catholic as would be expected of her. 

That need to conform and adhere to the systems that be is so very much how Hades/Pluto is. He’s an outcast from the gods and expected to adhere to their rules and customs while his own are regarded as "wrong” and “evil”. 

Also both Maria and Marie being names derived from "Mary" who is the mother of Jesus, or even Mary Magdalene, who was one of Jesus's... well I guess disciples too but mostly friends. close connection is the point there.

There is also the argument that religion is mostly about spirituality, so it’s possible that Hades/Pluto was drawn to their devoutness, not necessarily that they had Catholic connections, but that it was just the biggest religion in the area. But, who knows? 

Footnotes:

Hazel in 1928 and Nico pre-WW2, according to the wiki

 Which presents the ideas that oh. There is probably an pantheon of voodoo deities but that's a whole 'nother thing

 Specifically Haitian, which would have been in the area or similar to what was practiced at the least. Like Gede but that's again. another thing.

 Which I really don't like the connotations of this but. AGAIN another thing

 Literally a history of the US and other world powers forcing slaves/ indigenous folk/ minorities into Christianity to 1) spread their influence and 2) keep them under a system of oppression. This system of oppression also takes form in Jim Crow and segregation laws, keeping whites as the most powerful, which pervades life today. This is getting deep for a silly fun analysis of pjo/hoo. I know. 

if you made it this far: have a cookie and i wish you the best for today <3

guys..... the fact that the children of Hades/Pluto all have a connection to catholicism is not lost on me and it shouldn't be on you either.

[bazypitchandsimonsnow]

Fic Writer Interview!

Thank you to the amazing @carryonsimoncarryonbaz and @bazzybelle for tagging me, you peeps are awesome!

Name: Theo [ridiculously Irish last name]

Fandoms: Carry On, obviously haha. Rn I’m very invested in MDZS/The Untamed, been reading fics nonstop! In general, I like Raven Cycle, Red, White and Royal Blue, DC comics, Locke & Key, and A LOT of web comics. Seriously, it’s a comical amount.

Where you post: Here on the Hellsite and on AO3. I used to post on FF but I stopped using that account a long time ago. The web design is garbage and the small text made my eyes hurt. No thank you!

Most popular one-shot: To my legit surprise, it’s “Love, Snow”! It’s not that this fic is bad, I actually really like it, but I though it would be “Just a Friend Date” or the Watford Cove sequel. Love, Snow was a weird af idea I had that I didn’t expect to get attention, but apparently people like it! So yay!

Most popular multi-chapter: Oh, definitely “Straight Boy.” I was also kinda surprised by how popular that one ended up being. I legit wrote it on a whim cause I thought a reddit post was funny, and in my self critical opinion, it’s not that well written, but people really liked it so yay again!

Fic you were nervous to post: Every. Single. One. I shit you not, I go through multiple rounds of anxiety before I post anything. Then afterwards I’m filled with even MORE anxiety and constantly read fics over to make sure I don’t have huge spelling/grammatical errors. I’m happy to put my work out there but it is def very nerve wracking every time.

How do you choose your titles: Usually I just think of them or I use song lyrics. If I’m completely stumped, I usually ask @carryonmylovelies for help, and she always has great ideas. (Btw none of my writing would exist without her. She usually gives me at least one suggestion for all my stories. There’s a reason I thank her in almost every fic.lol)

Do you outline: Hahahahaha fuck no! I’m a chaotic probably ADHD mess, I don’t have the patience for outlines. I do have a sort of vague idea when I start out, and I usually rant about it/run it by @carryonmylovelies before I actually write it. The middle is usually the most vague and I figure that out as I go then edit it later. It can take longer but if I write it out of order I rarely finish it.

Do you take prompts: I used to do a lot of prompts! Early followers might remember me doing an insane number of requests over the summer. The majority of my fics are from requests. However, as my health has declined, I’ve had to stop taking any prompts and sadly give up on the ones I had left. TL;DR I had two nervous breakdowns in less than a year and went on psychiatric meds. (Been on them for over a year now, I’m okay, dw.) Good part: I’m not in a constant state of crippling anxiety anymore! Bad part: I don’t have the insane energy I used to. Add that to my chronic migraines getting worse, and I can’t think of ideas or churn out fics as quickly as before, which makes prompts too stressful. Now I just do what I want when I can, which means my stuff isn’t as popular anymore as I don’t post very often. It’s a bit of ego stomp lol but imo it’s better for my health to take things slow. Huge apology to all the people whose prompts I never did btw, I’m really really sorry! Unfortunately my shitty body will not cooperate anymore. I hope you’ll still want to read anything else I put out in the future!

Complete: All my Carry On fics are complete. I write the entire thing in advance because I’m a perfectionist when it comes to continuity and plot. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation tho? Not so much lol

In progress: Rn I’m seriously working on an AU based on the old crime drama show “Medium.” Essentially you’ve got Simon, a slightly short fused psychic who ends up having to deal with problems, both from the living and the dead. And you’ve got Baz, his intelligent, fascinated, supportive but more practical normal bf who sometimes helps with psychic shit. Hijinks ensue!

Idk who to tag but here are the people I can think of off the top of my head!

@carryonmylovelies @the-lincyclopedia @annabellelux @vkelleyart @basic-banshee (sorry sorry my brain is fried I can’t think of anyone else! if you wanna do it, then do it!)

[rockyremington]

[EMRE BEY, CISMALE, HE/HIM] WHO’S THAT? OH IT’S [ROCKY REMINGTON]. I HEAR THEY’RE [19] AND ARE KNOWN AS [THE CONNARD] AROUND [OHIO], THOUGH THEY’RE CURRENTLY [BACKPACKING] IN [SOUTH AMERICA]. THEY’RE KNOWN TO BE [PRACTICAL AND HARD WORKING] AND [INSENSITIVE AND BLUNT]. SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY REMIND THEM OF [DISINTERESTED STARES, WHITE SOCKS AND SLIDES, AND LONG NIGHTS AT THE GYM]. 

BASICS

Full Name: brock david remington jr.

Nickname: rocky, rem

Birthday: december 31, 2023

Place of Birth: lima, oh

Age: nineteen

Zodiac Sign: capricorn☼, virgo☽, virgo↑

Hometown: lima, oh

Current Residence: backpacking around south america, will return to Lima to live with his dad and step-mom

Sexuality: heterosexual

Relationship Status: in a relationship with julianna de león (npc)

Education: high school diploma (wmhs), deferred enrollment at northwestern university

Major: journalism

Occupation: n/a

High School Achievements: hometown hottie superlative (2041), cutest couple that never was superlative with sterling duval (2041), captain of the football team (2042), homecoming king (2042)

LIKES/DISLIKES

LIKES: eating clean, waking up early, winning, one on one deep conversations, cold weather, acing a test, sprinting, binge drinking, being outdoors, pushing his body

DISLIKES: oversleeping, being lazy, blind optimism, people with immovable opinions, people who are loud but have nothing important to say, indecisiveness

TL;DR BIO

After he caught his mom cheating on his dad when he was fourteen, Rocky became jaded and pessimistic. He moved through high school with a chip on his shoulder and a scowl to match. He became an expert at making other people feel stupid and to some, he was a merciless bully. Things changed for Rocky a month before graduation when he got a phone call from his mom trying to make amends. After a fall out with Sterling, Rocky decided threw caution to the wind and on a whim, decided to go spend the summer with his mom in Brazil. The trip was only meant to last a few months, but when his return date came around, he changed his mind. Rocky deferred his enrollment to Northwestern and has been backpacking around South America since August ‘42. He has cut off everyone from Lima, with the exception of his father, and the only reason he’s making his way back is for the wedding. 

FULL, UNALTERED BIO

THE LAST TWO YEARS...

Rocky’s last year of high school was everything he wanted and expected it to be. He was captain of the football team, homecoming king, and he got into his top choice college—Northwestern University. He was at the top of the McKinley food chain, he had his best friend at his side, and life was good. 

Rocky was thrown for a loop when he got a phone call from his estranged mother one month before graduation. At first, he was resistant to her efforts to reconnect...but after some long talks with his therapist (oh yeah, Rocky started going to therapy), he decided to hear her out. Talking to his mom was cathartic and quickly cracked the tough exterior he’d been building over the years. Suddenly overcome with emotion and a desire to be close to his mom, he agreed to spend a few weeks with her in Brazil. 

Rocky and Sterling were closer than ever during their senior year. They laughed at their ‘cutest couple that never was’ win often, and for the most part, they just went on with their business being them. They went to senior prom together and after one too many drinks, Rocky confessed his feelings for Sterling. She shut down at his admission and rejected his advances, leaving Rocky’s ego bruised and his heart broken. He decided after that to lengthen his trip to South American from a few weeks to a few months. He took off on the first flight after graduation and hasn’t spoken to Sterling since. He didn’t even tell her he was going. 

Rocky’s summer abroad was the best of his life. He healed his relationship with his mother, got to know her new husband (actually a pretty cool dude), ate new foods, visited new places, spent a lot of time outside and in the sun. The week before Rocky was supposed to fly back to Ohio to pack up and drive to Illinois for college, he met a girl named Julianna De León. She was adventurous, funny, and unlike anyone he’d ever met before. Brazil was the first stop in her eight month long backpacking adventure across South America. They spent the entire week together and when Julianna asked Rocky to ditch his plans and travel with him, in a move that surprised everyone, he said yes.

During his time backpacking across South America with his now-girlfriend, Rocky went completely off the grid. He deleted instagram, deleted twitter, and stopped answering any texts or calls from anyone not named Brock Remington. He’s nearing the end of his adventure now and will return to Lima, alone, for his dad’s wedding. His girlfriend will return to Spain where she’s from and they’ll try their hand at long distance. 

Rocky doesn’t know what to expect upon his return, but he knows he’ll have to make a lot of big decisions about his future. 

[incorrectdragalialost]

If it's not too much trouble, could you make a post explaining the rules of this? A few things are confusing to me. Can we submit quotes through the mail, or just submit? Do we give which characters are saying the quote, or leave it up to you?

Sure, no problem! Say you have a quote that you think suits a couple characters. (let’s use the example of “One time I had a crush on a girl and I didn’t know how to tell her so I gave her a note that said ‘get out of my school’”.) Off the top of my head, I think it would be funny if it was Luca saying that about Sylas. So those are the characters I’ll put into the appropriate spots.

You can click one of these buttons on the blog:

Preferably the bottom one, but the top works too! The submit page looks like this:

(catch me exposin my main)

And then you can just type whatever in, like so:

if you know where the quote came from (twitter, tumblr, a show, a game, a comic), then make sure you add that! If you don’t, I’ll probably end up tagging the source as ‘unknown’.

Then all you gotta do is click that checkbox and hit submit! Your submission will pop up in my inbox like this:

From there, I paste the text into a chat post, Make any adjustments I need to, tag it as submission, and toss it in the queue.

I HAVE had people send me quotes through sending me an ask, but it’s pretty much the same exact process. If you’d rather the submission be anonymous, you can just mention so in your submission or send it as an anonymous ask.

TL;DR: Submit quotes however you feel comfortable! You choose the characters & the quotes, and I submit ‘em! I hope that cleared some things up.

[empty-as-the-sky]

Edward and Bella romantic comedy in Twilight is GOLD

Okay HOT TAKE. 

TL;DR - The banter/comedy between Edward and Bella in Twilight is SO GOOD and it deserved to be kept in the movies and it’s a crime that it wasn’t.

As we all know, Twilight is mostly really problematic BUT re-reading the first book and the Midnight Sun draft I am DYING reading about all of the times Edward laughs at Bella or any time she says something sassy to him and they banter back and forth. It’s genuinely SO CUTE. When I was a young teen reading the books I loved their banter, and tbh I really didn’t think it would hold up years later, given how much of the books really DON’T hold up, but the banter absolutely does. 

I think one of the reasons that the movies didn’t quite work for me - besides Chuckesme, the nightmarish CGI, terrible accents in BD pt 2, and the bad wigs - was that we didn’t get the humour of Bella and Edward’s relationship, and we didn’t really get to see the process of them falling in love. It just kind of . . . happened?

I’ve heard about that famous story in which Rob almost got fired from the first movie because he refused to be more light-hearted and smiley, and listen. I love Rob Pattinson because he is a chaotic boy and I love every interview he has ever done, but he really hated the books SO MUCH (fair) that he refused to play Edward as anything other than a depressed, ultra-serious boy. And sorry, but that sucks. Just do your job. Like yes, Edward is dramatic AF but he also thinks Bella is so funny that he’s ALWAYS laughing at her. In Midnight Sun, other kids in his class frequently give him weird looks because he is laughing OUT LOUD or smiling to himself at the shit that Bella does and says. The director/producers were TOTALLY RIGHT in highlighting all of Edward’s light-hearted moments in the book for Rob because there are so many of them, more than a lot of people seem to remember. And yeah, I think that maybe Rob should have been fired so that someone else who would have taken that direction could have played the part. In Romeo & Juliet, the rule with doing that show is that the angst and tragedy is only compelling if the first half is fully played as a rom-com and if it’s actually funny. You can’t play the end at the beginning. Same goes for Twilight, and most things tbh. Otherwise, you don’t really root for the central couple if it’s all melodrama and angst all the time. No one wants to see characters predicting the tragedy. I think that’s part of why, on top of all the actual legit criticism, a lot of people criticized Twilight for being too teenage angsty or mumbly when that wasn’t really the book at all, and the comedy allows for a lot more self-awareness to come through.

I’m not even going to quote all of the times that Edward suppresses, or tries to suppress a laugh or a smile at Bella’s expense in Twilight. There are way too many, but they are constantly roasting each other.

Maybe I’m projecting my own feelings onto the books that aren’t really there, but hear me out:

- In the early days, Bella keeps parking so far away from Edward in the parking lot and in Midnight Sun, Edward is upset and confused by it EVERY SINGLE TIME. And they’re both frowning about it but for different reasons. Bella’s frowning because she’s trying to stay away from his dramatic, beautiful, mood-swinging, abrupt ass and he’s frowning because he doesn’t understand why she is avoiding him and he’s sad about it. He’s like, “Why?? Did she park so far away from me?? Do you think she’ll come talk to me? Hopefully she will. Hopefully she won’t?? DO YOU THINK SHE’LL WALK PAST ME? SHOULD I TAKE A DEEP GULP OF AIR JUST IN CASE??

- In Midnight Sun, Edward is so amused at Bella getting emotional over the snow chains that Charlie put on her tires. Seconds before he sees Alice’s vision about the van, he’s just like, “This girl?? Is getting emotional?? Over her truck?? Why is this human?? So weird??”

- Bella FUMING about Edward just getting to waltz right through the hospital doors like a normal person and not having to receive medical attention after the accident. Edward even betrayed her by telling them that she hit her head and maybe had a concussion, because she DID hit her head, but she is SO GRUMPY that he showed concern for her physical health, cause we all know this depressed bitch wouldn’t have. And she is SO EMBARRASSED about having to wear a neck brace and loaded into an ambulance, that she has the balls to take off the neck brace and chuck it under the bed when no one is looking. We stan an iconic queen. Like babe, they put that on you for a reason but you just like throwing your own safety out the window I guess.

- Edward realizing that he never noticed how clumsy Bella is as he watches her through the eyes of her classmates? Also iconic. “Goddamn, this clumsy ass human, how does she?? Survive??”

- EDWARD CUTTING BELLA OFF IN THE PARKING LOT AFTER SCHOOL SO THAT TYLER ASKS HER OUT IN FRONT OF HIM IS ALSO SO FREAKING FUNNY. And Bella being tempted to scratch the paint on his car when she sees him shaking with laughter? So good.

- Edward trying to irritate Bella by making her think he’s going to be the fourth person to ask her to the dance, only to ask her to go to Seattle instead at the last minute

- “THE WASTING OF FINITE RESOURCES IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS”

- Bella being too embarrassed to tell Edward her comic book-inspired theories but Edward dazzling her into telling him anyway, and then he just proceeds to roast her about her lack of originality

- Edward almost RIPPING THE DOOR OFF HIS CAR when he sees Mike lowering Bella to the ground after she faints in Biology because EDWARD THINKS SHE’S DEAD? And then Bella sees him approaching and IS SO EMBARRASSED and just tells him to go away? Chapters 3-5 of Twilight in terms of ComedyTM are *chef’s kiss*

- Edward just scooping up Bella and being super entertained at the irony that the sight of blood makes her ill.

- “He absolutely loathes me” - Edward about Mike, CHEERFULLY

- Bella calling Edward pushy when he insists on driving her home, which is just really accurate, because he absolutely is

- Edward making Bella lean in and then asking her not to fall into the ocean in La Push and Bella. Is. SO offended.

- Bella grabbing her own throat and pretending to be terrified when Edward says “Breakfast time” IS SO FUNNY and then her making a bad joke about “watching her hunt” and all she gets is CEREAL, while Edward looks on in confusion, like this girl has a sense of humour

People, the first half of Twilight in terms of rom-com material is fantastic. Yes there are still problematic elements and there’s a surprising (and worrying) amount of ableist language in the text, and there are obviously other issues with Edward and consent for sure. BUT the the banter is comedy gold and the problematic bits can be so easily edited out for adaptation. The banter makes Edward and Bella way more compelling as a couple because it makes them more human (no pun intended) and real, and it definitely gives them more personality.

In the movie, I just feel like we missed how gradual them falling in love really was and how reluctant they both were about it, and their belligerent banter was a big part of the sexual tension between them. Otherwise, I’m not really sure where it came from other than the fact that Kristen and Rob are really beautiful humans. Even though they were a couple at the time, I really missed that part of their chemistry onscreen.

I’m aware that for the movie, a lot of it came down to having to cut stuff in the script for time’s sake. But I still think they could have kept the spirit of the banter while cutting what they needed to.

Look, there’s a lot in the Twilight canon that’s not compelling at all, so it makes me really sad that one of the genuinely compelling things didn’t make it into the movies at all. 

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.